Man arrested for selling suspected counterfeit respirators, including N95 masks

SINGAPORE: A 34-year-old man has been arrested for his alleged involvement in online sales of suspected counterfeit respirators, said the police and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in a joint press release on Wednesday (Apr 21).

The man was arrested during an operation led by the Criminal Investigation Department, supported by HSA officers. 

During the operation, more than 41,000 pieces of suspected trademark-infringing respirators with an estimated street value of more than S$201,000 were seized.

The items seized included N95 masks, said HSA. 

Tests are currently being conducted on the seized respirators to ascertain if they are counterfeit.

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"Preliminary investigations revealed that the man was believed to have procured these suspected counterfeit respirators from foreign sources and had offered them for sales online," said the police.

Under the Health Products Act, it is illegal to sell or supply counterfeit health products. 

If found guilty of importing or supplying counterfeit health products, the man may be fined up S$100,000, jailed for up to three years, or both. 

If he is found guilty of selling or distributing goods with falsely applied trademarks, he may be fined up S$100,000, or jailed up to five years, or both.

Investigations against the man are ongoing.

"The Police take a serious view of intellectual property rights infringements and will not hesitate to take tough action against perpetrators who profit at the expense of legitimate businesses and consumers," said the press release.

The police also advised consumers to avoid buying health products such as respirators from dubious or unfamiliar sources, such as unknown online sites, as they could be counterfeit, unsafe, of poor quality, or manufactured under unhygienic conditions.