Federal officers seized three shipments containing a total of 2,387 pieces of counterfeit jewelry, including rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings bearing designer trademarks.
If they had been genuine, the items would have had a combined manufacturer’s suggested retail price of over $10.08 million, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
CBP seized the first shipment at the Port of Louisville on July 1. It originated from China and contained jewelry bearing the trademarks of famous luxury brands, including Van Cleef and Arpels, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Tiffany and many others. The shipment contained a total of 1,466 pieces of jewelry and was heading to a residence in Brooklyn.
On July 2, CBP seized the second and third shipments, which also originated from China and were heading to separate residential addresses in Miami.
“These large seizures illustrate the work our officers do every day to protect our country, its citizens, and the economy,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director, field pperations, Chicago Field Office. “Every day CBP officers are seizing these fraudulent de minimis shipments sent by bad actors. Criminals are trying to exploit the mail environment by peddling their counterfeit products. Even though this package had a low declared value, they pose the same potential health, safety, and economic security risks as larger and more traditional containerized shipments.”
