Hong Kong customs swoop ahead of the World Cup, seizing $20M in fake goods

HONG KONG (AP) — Just hours before the World Cup was set to kick off, Hong Kong authorities announced the seizure of 230,000 suspected counterfeit items worth an estimated $20 million, including jerseys tied to the highly anticipated soccer tournament.

The seizure included about 30,000 jerseys, some so finely made that they're hard to distinguish from authentic team shirts for ordinary consumers, Wayne Chung, senior inspector at Hong Kong ’s customs department, said Thursday.

Most were copies of authentic player jerseys that are generally more expensive than fan-edition versions because they're better designed and made of higher-quality materials, he said.

All were destined for overseas markets, with nearly 80% set to be shipped to the Americas, where the World Cup is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Mexico is playing in the tournament opener against South Africa on Thursday.

Footwear, watches, speakers and handbags were also seized in the operation, part of which took place at logistics centers from late May to early June. Goods modeled on Louis Vuitton’s handbags and Rolex watches were showcased at a news conference Thursday.

Chung said he believed the fakes were possibly meant to serve tourist demand elsewhere. Authorities were still investigating the origins of the goods.

A truck driver was arrested at a border checkpoint at a bridge that linked Hong Kong to mainland China and Macao, a neighboring casino hub, during the operation. Another five people were arrested in relation to the sale of fake jerseys online. All of them have been released on bail.

Chung said anyone who imports, exports, sells or possesses counterfeit goods for sale faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of about $64,000 if convicted.

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

Handbags are showcased by Hong Kong customs authorities in a new conference about counterfeit and infringing goods at their headquarters in North Point, Hong Kong Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kanis Leung)

Soccer boots are showcased by Hong Kong customs authorities in a new conference about counterfeit and infringing goods at their headquarters in North Point, Hong Kong Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kanis Leung)

Wayne Chung, a senior inspector of Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, speaks to reportersat their headquarters in North Point, Hong Kong Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kanis Leung)

Hong Kong customs authorities showcase various types of fake goods they seized during a news conference at its headquarters in North Point, Hong Kong Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kanis Leung)

Hong Kong customs authorities showcase real jersey, left, and fake jersey, right, during a news conference at its headquarters in North Point, Hong Kong Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kanis Leung)

BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Thailand on Thursday convicted and sentenced to death two members of China’s Muslim Uyghur minority over a 2015 bombing at a Bangkok landmark that killed 20 people and injured more than 120.

Yusufu Mieraili and Bilal Mohammad were arrested shortly after the Aug. 17, 2015, bombing of the Erawan shrine, which is a popular tourist destination, particularly for visitors from China.

The men were charged with a variety of offenses, including murder, attempted murder and illegal possession of explosive materials. They allegedly were linked by video, fingerprints and other evidence to the bombing.

Four judges presided over the ruling at Bangkok South Criminal Court. The court ruled the two were found guilty due to overwhelming evidence against them and were unable to provide substantial evidence proving otherwise.

After the judges left the courtroom, Mieraili shouted in broken Thai that he rejected the ruling and was innocent.

“I mourn for Thailand,” he said. “I did not receive justice … I ask Thai people to help me.”

Mieraili learned Thai while in detention, according to his lawyer. He also speaks English and on Thursday was asked to translate the proceedings into Uyghur for Bilal because only an English interpreter was available in court. The trial was repeatedly delayed because of difficulties finding suitable translators.

Chuchart Kanpai, one of the defense lawyers, said they will appeal as there are still several aspects of the case that were not taken into consideration.

The two men allegedly confessed during the initial questioning but pleaded not guilty when the trial began in 2016. The proceedings originally took place in a military court before the case was transferred to the civilian Bangkok South Criminal Court in 2019.

The men said they suffered mistreatment and torture in jail after their arrests. But the judges said Thursday there was no evidence of torture and that investigators did not appear to have coerced the confessions.

Several human rights groups have criticized the procedures and the lengthy trial. In 2023, the International Federation for Human Rights based in France submitted a petition to the United Nations alleging numerous violations of human rights and due process, including the lack of a legal basis for the arrests and discriminatory treatment.

Authorities identified 17 suspects in connection to the blast but only three were apprehended. Charges against a Thai woman were dropped in 2024 due to lack of evidence.

Police said they believe Mieraili detonated the bomb minutes after a backpack containing the device was allegedly left at the shrine by Bilal, who also is known as Adem Karadag.

Thai authorities have said the bombing was revenge by a people smuggling gang whose activities had been disrupted by the police. Thailand cracked down on human traffickers earlier in 2015 after abandoned camps for Rohingyas fleeing persecution in Myanmar and economic migrants from Bangladesh were found in the jungles along the Thai-Malaysia border.

However, some analysts suspect the bombing was the work of Uyghur separatists angry that Thailand had forcibly repatriated scores of Uyghurs to China in July 2015. Many Uyghurs try to escape persecution and tight control in China with the help of professional smugglers.

Thailand deported 40 Uyghur asylum seekers back to China in 2025, which drew international criticism.

The shrine’s popularity among Chinese tourists lent support to the theory that the bombing had a political element.

Visitors pray at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

FILE - Police officers escort Yusufu Mieraili, yellow shirt, outside Hua Lamphong railway station in Bangkok, on Sept. 9, 2015. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

FILE - Police officers escort Bilal Mohammad, center, during a reenactment at Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, on Sept. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

Lawyer Chuchart Kanpai talks to reporters after he left a courtroom at Bangkok South Criminal Court in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

FILE - Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers enter the Erawan Shrine after an explosion in Bangkok, on Aug. 17, 2015. (AP Photo/Sackchai Lalit, File)