LOUISVILLE, Ky – Gucci Gucci, Louis Louis, Fendi Fendi, Prada? Nope. Turns out it was counterfeit jewelry — loads of it.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers that inspect packages at the Louisville Port of Entry in Kentucky seized a package containing 2,074 counterfeit bracelets, necklaces, and earrings which, had they been genuine, would have had a retail price of $2.51 million.
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According to a release, officers inspected the shipment arriving from Hong Kong on Oct. 26 that was heading to a corporation in New York.
Upon examination, officers found 403 Chanel branded necklaces, 128 Van Cleef and Arpels design necklaces, 52 Cartier Love bracelets, 379 Van Cleef and Arpels design bracelets, 154 Van Cleef and Arpels design pairs of earrings, 560 Cartier style pair of earrings and 398 Chanel branded pairs of earrings, the release said.
“CBP is responsible for enforcing nearly 500 U.S. trade laws and regulations on behalf of 49 other federal agencies. CBP officers play a critical role in the nation’s efforts to protect the American consumer, the U.S economy, and U.S. jobs,” LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations-Chicago Field Office, said. “This is yet another dramatic example of how dedicated CBP officers are to the CBP mission.”
U.S. consumers spend more than $100 billion every year on intellectual property rights (IPR) infringing goods, falling victim to approximately 20% of the counterfeits that are illegally sold worldwide, according to CBP.
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