LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two shipments containing over $1.7 million worth of counterfeit jewelry and accessories were confiscated in Louisville on Monday night.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stopped and inspected shipments containing designer rings, watch bands and phone cases.
The items found in those shipments were deemed to be counterfeit by CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise, the agency’s trade experts.
The first shipment contained 2,500 rings with Versace, Gucci, Bvlgari, and Rolex logos. The merchandise was arriving from Hong Kong and was heading to Suwanne, Georgia.
The second shipment also arrived from Hong Kong and was headed to a residence in Orlando, Florida. The shipment contained 319 phone cases and 210 watch bands with Louis Vuitton logos, and 60 watch bands with Gucci logos.
The items in both shipments were seized for infringing on the designer’s protected trademarks.
“Counterfeit goods are poor quality products that cost U.S. businesses billions of dollars a year while robbing our country of jobs and tax revenues,” LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations, Chicago Field Office, said. “CBP officers throughout the nation remain committed to stopping counterfeit smuggling, taking profits from organized crime, and helping protect our communities from potentially hazardous knockoffs.”
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the illicit trafficking of counterfeit goods offers criminals a complementary source of income and a way through which they can launder money.
Money received from the sale of counterfeit products can be channeled towards the further production of fake goods or other illicit activities.
Counterfeiting is a hugely profitable business, with criminals relying on the continued high demand for cheap goods coupled with low production costs.
Had all these items been genuine, the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price would have been $1.76 million. On a typical day in fiscal year 2022, CBP seized $8 million worth of products with Intellectual Property Rights violations.
“This is a great example of the work our officers do to protect consumers and the U.S. economy,” Louisville Port Director Thomas Mahn said. “Our officers continue to use their training, knowledge, and skills to identify high-risk shipments and shut down illicit suppliers.”
CBP encourages anyone with information about counterfeit merchandise illegally imported into the United States to submit an e-Allegation. The e-Allegation system provides a means for the public to anonymously report to CBP any suspected violations of trade laws or regulations related to the importation of goods in the U.S.
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