Customs officers seized approximately 83,000 suspected counterfeit goods with an estimated market value of HK$36 million in a pre-Christmas operation.

The operation, which ran from December 8 to 19, involved 28 separate investigations.

The haul included luxury items such as handbags, mobile phones, sneakers and watches.

Officers noted that the surge in consumer spending over the holiday season presents a prime opportunity for illicit activities.

"The massive transaction volume and peak logistics period allow criminals to hide their operations within the high flow of shipments," said Hamish Lin, senior inspector of the intellectual property transnational investigation division.

Preliminary investigations suggested the counterfeit goods were destined for overseas markets, primarily in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

"These goods are of relatively high quality and value. We believe they are often mixed with licensed products during the Christmas season to maximise profits," Lin explained.

"We found shipments headed for South America or Central Africa - markets less commonly seen before. We do not rule out that criminals are exploiting the holiday period to test new markets.”

In a related arrest, Lin said a 55-year-old truck driver was arrested at the Hong Kong port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge for his alleged involvement in transporting counterfeit goods via an inbound truck.