Shanghai busts gang selling phony sneakers online

Shanghai police busted a gang that manufactured and marketed counterfeit sneakers online, including high-end brands such as Nike and Louis Vuitton, a local police official said on Thursday.

Yangpu police officers seized over 3,400 pairs of counterfeit shoes, valued at more than 30 million yuan (US$4.15 million).

During investigations, it was found that the gang employed a deceptive method of combining genuine shoe soles with fake uppers or false soles with genuine uppers to create shoes that appeared authentic.

Zheng, the gang's leader, had previously run his own manufacturing company. In February 2024, Zheng began producing and marketing counterfeit sneakers disguised as "limited edition," "customized," or "modified" versions, targeting sneaker fans willing to pay premium prices.

To mislead buyers, Zheng got his men to reassemble genuine second-hand sneakers and remake them with counterfeit components.

Two other gang members ran an online store and handled logistics, selling imitation sneakers for 1,000 to 4,000 yuan per pair.

Five suspects have been handed over to local prosecutors, while the remaining four are under bail pending further investigation.

Ahead of this year's World Consumer Rights Day, March 15, Shanghai police said it has cracked over 1,800 cases of economic crimes last year, including counterfeit products, money laundering, and investment fraud.