‘Tis the season for counterfeit goods as holiday shopping reaches its peak. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Louisville have taken action to protect customers from potential scams by intercepting a staggering $18 million worth of counterfeit designer jewelry and watches.
On December 17 and 18, two shipments arrived from Hong Kong and China, heading towards residences in Arizona, Virginia, Florida, and New York. These shipments contained a total of 962 pieces of counterfeit designer watches, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) took action and seized these knock-offs after their trade experts confirmed their inauthenticity.
CBP officers discovered a total of 459 counterfeit bracelets featuring the logos of luxury brands such as Cartier, Chanel, Fendi, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and Van Cleef and Arpels. Additionally, they found 43 pairs of earrings with logos from Van Cleef and Arpels and Cartier, 20 necklaces displaying the Van Cleef and Arpels logo, and 440 watches with the Rolex logo. All of these items were confirmed to be counterfeit.
The watches, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, if they had been genuine, would have had a total manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $18.81 million. However, they were confiscated for violating the designers’ protected trademarks.
“Counterfeit items defraud both the consumer and legitimate businesses. Our officers are committed to diligently working to protect our economy and the American consumer,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations, Chicago Field Office. “Customs and Border Protection urges you to protect your families by purchasing authentic consumer products from reputable retailers.”
According to the CBP, “The illicit trafficking of counterfeit goods offers criminals a complementary source of income and a way through which they can launder money. Additionally, monies received from the sale of counterfeit products can be channeled towards the further production of fake goods or other illicit activities. Additionally, counterfeiting is a hugely profitable business, with criminals relying on the continued high demand for cheap goods coupled with low production costs.”
