China is a country known for its fake designer products, but what about fake police? Apparently the the answer to that question is also yes: China has officially been able to counterfeit law enforcement.

A man dressed as a policeman, complete with a real pistol, was arrested on August 22 in Shenzhen’s Longhua New Area at a family home after his planned robbery heist went wrong, according to a report out yesterday by Shenzhen Daily (via the Daily Sunshine).

The fake policeman, identified only as Zhang, visited the home of a husband and wife on the pretext of investigating illegal pyramid schemes, and claimed to be from a department in Hubei Province.

At the time only the wife, who remains unidentified, was at home — though she soon called her husband in secret after becoming suspicious of Zhang.

Returning home immediately, the husband told Zhang that he wanted local police officers to be present during any questioning, at which point Zhang became nervous and attacked the couple.

A nearby officer rushed to the scene after hearing calls for help from the wife and seeing that she was covered in blood. Meanwhile, the husband continued battling Zhang inside the home.

Officer Zou Yongsheng said afterwards (according to a translation by the Daily): “I went up the stairs with my gun. When I ran to the third floor, I heard someone moving quietly above me, so I jumped to the upper landing.

“Zhang saw me and started running upstairs. After running for two floors, I caught him. Later, we found that he had dropped the pistol on the fourth floor.”

Zhang confessed later that he was using the outfit and pistol to rob people, though it is unclear if he had robbed anyone previous to this incident. It is not uncommon in China to see civilians sometimes dressed as police officers, and foreigners can easily mistake them for genuine policemen.

The Daily also added: “He said he bought the pistol because he wanted to take revenge on his wife after she had an affair. Zhang said he later bought the uniform because he didn’t want to be bullied by others.”

Following the incident, local residents are being advised to always ask to see ID from police officers before allowing them into their homes. That goes for expats living in Shenzhen, too.

In related “fake” news of an equally controversial nature, The Nanfang reported yesterday that an expat bar in Shenzhen has come under fire for “fake” terrorists in a fancy-dress party to mark the anniversary of 9/11.

Photo credit: Shenzhen Daily