Sterling, VA – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized counterfeit consumer goods on November 7 at Washington Dulles International Airport that, if authentic, would have a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of more than $2 million.
CBP officers initially examined the air cargo shipment of 2,601 coin purses, 459 purses, and three backpacks adorned with Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, Prada and Hermes brand names that arrived in 18 boxes September 25 from China. Officers suspected the products to be counterfeit and detained the shipment, which was destined to an address in Flushing, N.Y.
CBP officers worked with CBP’s Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising Centers for Excellence and Expertise, the agency’s trade experts and verified through trademark holders that the products were counterfeit, and seized the shipment Thursday.
The products, if authentic, would have an MSRP of $2,244,370.
On a typical day in 2018, CBP officers seized $3.7 million worth of products with IPR violations.
As a result of CBP enforcement efforts, ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested 381 individuals, obtained 296 indictments, and received 260 convictions related to intellectual property crimes in 2018.
