Though we commend entrepreneurial teens looking to supplement their pocket money, we would advise they do their research on the legality of their fledgling businesses – even if they involve goods as innocent as socks.
On Wednesday, customs officers “mounted operations” and arrested three secondary school students for selling suspected counterfeit sports socks and phone cases on online social networks, according to a government press release.
The arrestees were two teenage girls and one teenage boy, aged between 15 and 17. A total of 10 pairs of counterfeit sports socks and 16 counterfeit phone case pieces were seized.
The illegal contraband. Photo: Customs
According to Customs, the government has detected 25 cases of online sale of suspected counterfeit goods this year alone. In the same time period last year, only three underage students were arrested for such activities. This year, that number has increased to seven.
Customs appeals to young people to respect intellectual property rights and to not trade in counterfeit goods, warning that “[t]hey should not engage in illegal activities for the sake of making quick money or they might ruin their future”.
Hear that kids? Don’t ruin your future. Don’t sell socks on Facebook.
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