Vietnam - Shop in Sheraton Hotel sealed over 'Chinese' goods

Police in Ho Chi Minh City have sealed off a Milano - Gucci fashion shop located inside the 5-star Sheraton Saigon Hotel in downtown city and are tracking down its owner after they caught a luxury consignment of dubious items.

The city’s economic police officers on Nov. 27 caught a large consignment of luxury clothes, hand-bags, and belts believed to be made by Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana on four trucks at a warehouse at the Sheraton Saigon Hotel in District 1.

However, all of the goods were declared to be of Chinese origin and claimed to be worth merely US$1.8-7 per item. Hence, the consignment had been taxed for less than VND27 million ($1,300).

According to a police officer, the consignment’s owner has to pay a tax of tens of billions of dong if the items are genuine.

The importer of the luxury goods was identified as HCMC-based Nam De Company hailing from Hong Kong and local police are probing into its business relationships, Lieutenant colonel Bui Thanh Nguyen, vice head of the city’s Economic Crime Investigation Division (PC46), was quoted as saying by VnExpress.

Nguyen added that preliminary investigations found Milano – Gucci Fashion Trade and Services Ltd., Co is the owner of the consignment and police have many times summoned its representative for questioning but received no cooperation from them.

Therefore, local authorities had no choice but to seal off the shop.

The fashion shop located on 88 Dong Khoi Street was seen being closed today (December 6). A man, who claimed to be the shop’s security guard, tried to prevent the shop from being photographed.

Staff at Sheraton hotel told VnExpress that some clients have recently rushed to the hotel to complain that many luxury items they bought at the shop are fake and kept asking for an explanation.

“They became angry since the shop has been sealed off and there were no Milano employees there,” VnExpress quoted a Sheraton staff.

As of today morning, police have yet to determine if these items are fake or not because they are waiting for official results from relevant authorities.

However, customs and Vinacontrol Group Corporation, which was in charge of checking the goods, told Thanh Nien Newspaper that all items are Chinese-made.

Further investigations are underway.

TUOITRENEWS

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