Chinese police recently shut down a counterfeit AirPods factory in China.
Law enforcement destroyed nine counterfeit dens, three production lines, and six sales dens in Suining, Sichuan Province of China. The operation’s value is estimated to be 167 million yuan (about $31.5 million CAD).
According to Gizmo China, police seized 69,000 fake Apple AirPods, 45,000 semi-finished headsets, four sets of counterfeiting tools and 50,000 sets of packing materials. It’s currently unclear whether any fake AirPods produced by the counterfeit operation were distributed outside of China.
Fake AirPods have become a major issue for Apple. The devices are prone to counterfeiting due to their small size and high value.
In 2021, according to a report by The Information, it’s estimated that counterfeit AirPods could’ve cost Apple around $3.2 billion USD (about $4.2 billion CAD) in sales. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency said its seizures of counterfeit AirPods increased from $3.3 million USD in 2019 (about $4.2 million CAD) to $62.2 million USD (about $83.3 million CAD) between October 2021 and July 2022.
Here in Canada, Daily Hive reported last year that a Shopper’s Drug Mart in Canada accidentally sold fake AirPods due to a fraudulent return.
Source: Gizmo China Via: 9to5Mac
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