1MDB raid handbag photos? They’re ours, says shopping site

This picture is ours, says the Singapore-based shopping website “shopfirstluxury”.

(FMT) – Photographs showing rows of expensive handbags being spread widely on social media were not the ones seized by police in 1MDB-linked raids over the past week – but taken from a shopping website.

Singapore luxury goods store “shopfirstluxury” complained in an Instagram posting about use of its photograph and appealed to people to stop using the image in postings connected to the case.

The Sarawak Report blog has also carried the image, and made reference to the seizure of Hermes Birkin handbags in a police search of three luxury apartments in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, last week.

Shopfirstluxury’s operator said: “I have no idea when and how it started early this week, my Malaysian friend notified me about a few Malaysian online news channels posting news using my picture.

Sarawak Report also carried the image and made reference to the seizure of Hermes Birkin handbags in a police search of three luxury apartments

“We tried to contact several of the news channels but seems like there was no response, and now it has even spread to Indonesia.

“If anybody receives this picture, please don’t spread it again using this picture. My lovely customers who visited me at my old showroom know exactly where this picture was taken.

“In this fast information era, let’s be a responsible news reader, and think twice before sharing with friends and family members.”

Star Online had earlier reported that another image, showing a tray of six gold Rolex watches, widely shared on social media site Pinterest, and another of a bag filled with stacks of US currency, were from a June 2016 robbery case that happened in the US.

On May 18, police had seized almost 300 cartons of handbags as well as 72 pieces of luggage said to contain cash, watches and jewellery from three apartments at Pavilion Residences.