Chinese Firm Made Fake iPhones Worth $19.4 Million, Police Say, AsiaOne

Just few days back, in an interview with WSJ, CEO of Apple Tim Cook was quoted saying that they expect China to be their biggest market one day.

Nine people were arrested as part of the counterfeiting operation, with the main two being a 40-something-year-old man and wife from manufacturing city Shenzhen. The fake iPhones join the many counterfeit products from the country that have made their way around the world.

Police began investigating the corporate in May after fake China-made cell telephones have been seized within the US.

Apple is one of the most popular brands in China, where authorities have stepped up efforts in recent years to dispel the country’s reputation for turning out counterfeit goods.

China has been ramping up its enforcement of intellectual property rights and trademarks, making it at least a little more hard for companies to make knock off iPhones.

The factory was discovered on 14 May but was revealed on social media by Beijing’s public security bureau on Sunday, according to reports. Hundreds of workers had been hired to build and package the phones who are now looking for jobs, although they weren’t charged with any crimes.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment about news of the crackdown.

The bureau believes that the couple leading the operation set up the factory with six assembly lines in January, and ran the operation under the guise of a gadget maintenance shop on the northern outskirts of Beijing.

Police managed to seize 1,400 handsets, as well as “large quantities” of accessories during the raid.