China arrests 73 in fake luxury bag bust, shuts 37 illegal sites

BEIJING (REUTERS) - Chinese police, working with United States authorities, have arrested 73 people for manufacturing and exporting fake international brands, including Hermes, LVMH's Louis Vuitton and Coach Inc, state news agency Xinhua said.

Police also confiscated more than 20,000 counterfeit bags and closed 37 illegal sites used for the production and sale of the bags, Xinhua said late on Sunday, citing a Ministry of Public Security statement.

The gang had manufactured and sold more than 960,000 such fake bags, it added.

Officials in the southern export hub of Guangdong province began uncovering the ring in January which was producing and exporting huge amounts of fake goods, the report said.