Fake AirPods ring shut down by Chinese authorities

Enforcement agencies in China have broken up a criminal network producing counterfeit versions of Apple’s AirPods, seizing more than 114,000 fake units worth more than $23m.

The operation resulted in the shutdown of several operating locations, including three production lines for the knock-offs, as well as manufacturing machinery, components and trademark-infringing packaging materials. There is no information yet on how long the network had been operating and how many counterfeits it may have distributed.

News of the bust first emerged on the GizmoChina newswire, which said that the seizures included 69,000 fake AirPods and more than 45,000 semi-finished products. The counterfeits had been widely distributed across China and it is not clear whether they were also sent to overseas markets, although the scale of the operation suggests that is a distinct possibility.