Opatra London UK distances itself after Hong Kong arrests
Bastillepost · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Customs on Wednesday arrested a 42-year-old male finance manager and a 25-year-old female administrative manager connected to Opatra London after allegations that a woman was pressured into spending HK$60,000 at its New Town Plaza beauty shop in Sha Tin . Later that night, Opatra London’s UK headquarters issued another statement saying the Hong Kong Opatra-branded stores are independently owned and operated by a local company under a distribution agreement, and are not in a parent-subsidiary relationship with the British company .
Key Points
- The UK headquarters said hiring, staffing and day-to-day management at the Hong Kong stores are handled entirely by the local company .
- It added that the two arrested people and other shop staff are not employees of Opatra London and have never held roles at the UK headquarters .
- The case stemmed from a video circulated last Wednesday, August 12, showing a woman outside the Sha Tin New Town Plaza branch alleging high-pressure selling .
- The woman said she was pushed into charging HK$60,000 to her card, later suffered an allergic reaction, and was refused a refund before seeking police help .
- Customs said it has received six related complaints involving HK$1,800 to HK$100,000, mostly from middle-aged people and elderly customers .
Why It Matters
All four Opatra London branches in Sha Tin, Yuen Long and Causeway Bay have suspended operations, while the local distributor’s Yuen Long YOHO MALL outlet has already closed . The UK company said it is fully cooperating with Hong Kong authorities and is reviewing its distribution arrangements in Hong Kong, with further announcements expected later .