Over a dozen shops in Dongmen are selling woolen sweaters for only five yuan (US$0.6) a piece, raising suspicions that the apparent bargains might actually be imported used clothes.

A reporter with the Daily Sunshine found 80 people buying such sweaters within a span of 10 minutes. And some shoppers bought more than one piece at a time.

The reporter found most of the sweaters bore foreign trademarks, while some had no trademarks. There was only a single piece for each design and most of them appeared used, with many bearing stains. Some even appeared worn out.

According to a shop owner in Dongmen, the sweaters were second-hand foreign goods imported via Lufeng City in Eastern Guangdong. A porter said the bundled sweaters usually arrived at Dongmen at about 2 to 3 a.m. and were sold to the shops by weight.

He also said the sweaters could be sold for 15 yuan a piece outside the special economic zone.

An engineer surnamed Luo of the city¡¯s measurement and quality test institute, who is responsible for testing textile products, said the sweaters were not up to the national standards.

Ms. He from the Shenzhen entry and exit quarantine bureau said she believed the sweaters had been illegally imported, as China has banned the import of used clothes. These garments could contain bacteria that might cause diseases like hepatitis, she said, warning people not to buy them. The sweaters should be seized and destroyed, she added.

Editor: Yan