More than 30 tonnes of counterfeit “Chef 55” brand flavour enhancer has been confiscated by the authorities, following a raid on a factory in Phnom Penh.
The audacious pirates even had a fleet of sign written delivery vehicles, complete with the Thai company’s logo, to ship their fake goods throughout the Kingdom.
On Wednesday, August 13, the National Police reported that a special task force from the Anti-Intellectual Property Crime Office of the Economic Crime Police Department, together with the Consumer Protection Competition and Fraud Repression Directorate-general (CCF), as well as and local authorities, conducted an August 11 raid on the factory, in Kamboul district’s Phleung Chheh Roteh commune.
During the raid, officials discovered over 30 tonnes of evidence, including MSG, soup powder, and extensive packaging supplies — bags, wrappers and sacks —all bearing the “Chef 55” brand.
Additionally, they seized 10 machines, including date-stamping machines, large and small packaging machines, sealers and grinders, as well as trucks and smaller delivery vehicles.
“The MSG and soup powder, originally without labels, were smuggled from China and then repackaged with the ‘Chef 55’ brand, complete with fake quality marks, barcodes and Thai manufacturing addresses. They were distributed and sold to almost all markets in Cambodia, misleading consumers into believing they were genuine Thai products,” the National Police reported.
The factory was in the process of packaging more fake goods when the raid occurred.
The factory’s owner, identified as Iv Sarin, 46, a Cambodian national, was found to be falsifying the origin of his products. The authorities confiscated all evidence, temporarily closed the workshop and are awaiting further action from the relevant institutions.
The owner was taken to the Economic Crime Police Department for questioning, after which a case file was prepared and sent to court for legal proceedings on the afternoon of August 12.
The authorities have appealed to all business operators to comply with the law, conduct business honestly and avoid producing or distributing counterfeit goods, in order to protect the health and well-being of consumers, and to uphold the reputation of legitimate products.
