According to the city’s Market Surveillance Department, inspectors targeted stalls suspected of selling counterfeit branded watches, handbags, eyewear and fashion items as part of a wider crackdown on smuggling, trade fraud and intellectual property violations.
Internal loudspeaker and radio systems at Saigon Square were activated to warn traders as inspection teams arrived, prompting many stalls to shut down in an attempt to avoid checks.
Despite this, inspectors discovered multiple businesses allegedly selling counterfeit goods, goods of unclear origin and items infringing protected trademarks in Vietnam.
The seized products showed common signs of counterfeiting, including poor packaging, blurred logos, faulty stitching and unusually low prices.
At Ben Thanh Market, inspection teams also confiscated suspected counterfeit watches, handbags and eyewear for further investigation.
Authorities said Market Surveillance Team No. 4 had handled 49 violations involving counterfeit and untraceable goods, imposing administrative fines exceeding VND 500 million (USD 19,000).
Meanwhile, Market Surveillance Team No. 18 inspected 16 fashion, footwear and eyewear businesses and seized 405 counterfeit products bearing brands including Gucci and Adidas. Traders were fined a combined VND 150 million and ordered to destroy infringing goods worth more than VND 111 million.
Officials said counterfeit trading remained widespread due to strong demand for cheap goods and high profit margins, while complex supply chains made tracing violations more difficult.
