China arrests 14,560 for counterfeit crimes in 2023

BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese procuratorial agencies approved the arrest of 14,560 individuals and prosecuted about 38,900 for the production and sale of counterfeit and inferior goods in 2023, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) on Thursday.

As online shopping has become an important consumption channel, procuratorial agencies have intensified crackdowns on fake and shoddy products on internet platforms.

The SPP on Thursday published five criminal cases of making and selling fake and substandard commodities that are closely related to people's lives, such as food, drugs, fertilizer, kitchen ranges and construction materials. In one case, a suspect was punished for selling counterfeit fertilizer worth about 7.8 million yuan (1.1 million U.S. dollars) through online platforms.

The SPP said procuratorial agencies will continue to crack down on counterfeit crimes, particularly those involving the new business modes of internet marketing and livestreaming sales.