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Hong Kong arrests Opatra distributor staff over alleged aggressive sales
South China Morning Post says the arrests followed claims of pushy tactics tied to a wider pattern of Dead Sea product “sales scams” seen in multiple countries over two decades.
Hong Kong customs officers arrested two staff members from Sayles Retail, the local distributor for Opatra London skincare, after allegations of aggressive sales tactics, according to the South China Morning Post.
The outlet said the controversy echoes a broader “Dead Sea sales scam” pattern described in documents posted on WikiLeaks, including reports of shops and kiosks using pushy approaches in the United States, New Zealand, Australia and Europe over the past two decades.
SCMP also cited diplomatic cables it reviewed, including one prepared in 2009 by former US ambassador to Israel James Cunningham, that described an alleged business model linked to tourist or expired work visas and prompted US investigators to crack down.
The report said the cable described the financial incentives as high while post-IDF salaries were low and work scarce, framing the alleged scheme as a way for some workers to finance education and onward travel, and it tied that backdrop to alleged conduct raised again in Hong Kong.