PHNOM PENH, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian police have seized a total of 68 tons of counterfeit cosmetic products in two separate crackdowns in recent months, arresting three suspects, an official announced on Monday.
The first crackdown was launched on March 31 on three locations in southern Kandal province and Phnom Penh, confiscating 30 tons of fake skin- and hair-care products and arresting an owner, and the second raid was made on April 28 at two locations in Phnom Penh, seizing 38 tons of fake cosmetic products and arresting two suspects.
Meach Sophana, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Interior and chairman of the government's Counter Counterfeit Committee, said a number of equipment used to manufacture the fake products had also been confiscated.
"This is the largest-ever amount of fake cosmetic goods that we have seized in our crackdown operations," he said at a press conference, adding that the fake products were worth millions of U.S. dollars.
He said those fake goods bore brand names of products made in some countries such as China, South Korea, Thailand and Japan.
"The seized fake products could damage consumers' skins or cost lives in some serious cases," he said.
The crackdowns came after the committee routinely inspected products in markets and spotted those fake goods.
