A Chinese man was arrested in Phnom Penh on Wednesday when police found more than 2,000 bottles of falsely labeled engine oil at a warehouse in Chbar Ampov district after receiving a complaint from the U.S. company whose brand was being used, an official said.
Toch Yuthea, chief of the Interior Ministry’s intellectual property crimes bureau, said that Peng Yoqao, 37, was apprehended after police linked him to the haul, comprised of 2,112 bottles labeled as Formula 1-brand motor oil but containing a low-grade substitute.
“We confiscated 88 boxes of fake Formula 1 and HXS Formula I, which was made in China and totaled 2,112 bottles,” Mr. Yuthea said.
“Formula 1 is made in the USA and we received a complaint from the company, so we searched for the fake Formula 1,” he said, explaining that Mr. Peng had been selling the cheaper oil, brought in from China, for $2.50, about half the retail price of Formula 1-brand oil.
Mr. Yuthea said the suspect was still in police custody but would be released if he paid compensation to the company.
