MAEBASHI -- A Chinese woman was arrested Oct. 1 by Gunma Prefectural Police on suspicion of possessing 1,116 counterfeit luxury brand items including Chanel and Louis Vuitton.

The 51-year-old unemployed woman living in Tomioka, Gunma Prefecture, was allegedly in possession of items including earrings resembling those by four famous fashion houses on the morning of Aug. 22, and is suspected of intending to sell or distribute them to others. The suspect has denied the allegations, saying, "I didn't think they were fake, and I didn't intend to sell all of them."

According to police, during a cyber patrol of a flea market site in June, they found a pair of earrings with a logo similar to Chanel, introduced as "imported from overseas." After appraisal of the items, they were found to be fake, and an investigation into clients and bank accounts turned up the woman as a suspect.

Investigators believe that the woman raked in 20 million yen (about $139,000) or more through at least some 2,800 transactions over the year since August 2023. The police are investigating the source of the counterfeit merchandise and whether there were any accomplices.

(Japanese original by Sakae Kato, Maebashi Bureau)