Chinese police crack country's biggest case of fake sports shoes

Chinese police have cracked China's biggest ever case of fake sports shoes, confiscating more than 500,000 pairs of counterfeit brand sneakers. The amount of money involved is reportedly over 600 million yuan (more than 87.3 million US dollars), China Central Television (CCTV) reports.

A screenshot of CCTV News shows the counterfeit shoes fabricated by a factory called Jinfeng in Bengbu, east China's Anhui Province. [Screenshot: CCTV]

In December 2015, Nike Sports China reported to the local police in Bengbu, east China's Anhui Province, saying that fake Nike shoes fabricated in the area had been found in the Middle East.

According to preliminary investigations, local police traced the counterfeit products to a factory called Jinfeng, which was a part of the Feiyu Group.

Founded in 2012, the factory turned out to be quite professional, with a clear division of duties, compact organization, numerous material suppliers and a considerable distribution network that produced a large number of fake products. The products had flooded illegal counterfeit shoes markets, home and abroad, reaching as far as the Middle East and Africa.

A screenshot of CCTV News shows the well-packaged fake shoes fabricated by a factory called Jinfeng in Bengbu, east China's Anhui Province. [Screenshot: CCTV]

Over 500,000 pairs of well-packaged fake shoes have been seized inside the factory, and another more than 40,000 pairs were obtained later at the customs in Guangdong, with the latter batch reportedly ready to be transported to Middle Eastern countries.

With an average cost of less than 20 yuan (over $2.9 dollars), a pair of counterfeit shoes could be sold at about 400 yuan (over $58.2 dollars) in foreign markets.

The lucrative market of counterfeits has greatly impacted the sales, as well as reputations, of certified companies.

A screenshot of CCTV News shows the counterfeit shoes fabricated by a factory called Jinfeng in Bengbu, east China's Anhui Province. [Screenshot: CCTV]

The case involves up to over 600 million yuan (over $87.3 million dollars), considering all the fake shoes fabricated during a three-year period.

From 2015 to 2016, police officers raided five relevant dens, arresting more than ten main suspects. But the principal suspect, also the factory director, is still at large, while more distributors remain to be discovered.

The case has been handed to local courts for sentencing.