Customs officers in Cincinnati seize $6.9 million in counterfeit designer-brand jewelry
The holidays may not be so happy for two households in North Carolina and Maryland after Cincinnati customs officers seized large counterfeit jewelry shipments addressed to residences in both states, according to the US Customs and Border Protection.
In the first week of December, officers with the CBP’s Cincinnati port seized a total of 11 shipments of counterfeit merchandise originating in India, China and Indonesia, which would have been worth more than $6.96 million if genuine, the agency announced Monday.
The Centers for Excellence and Expertise, the agency’s trade experts, determined the shipments to be counterfeit, according to a news release.
Officers seized a shipment of 783 fake jewelry items on December 1, according to the agency. “The shipment was destined to a residential address in North Carolina,” the release said.
The shipment came from Hong Kong and contained bracelets, earrings and necklaces labeled with designer brands including Versace, Christian Dior and Fendi, the release stated. The estimated value for the jewelry would have been $992,046 if it had been authentic, the release stated.
“Based on the cheap generic packaging, lack of intricate details and routing led to the seizure of this shipment by officers in Cincinnati,” the agency said.
On December 2, CBP officers intercepted 60 jewelry sets from Hong Kong, containing knockoff versions of Cartier, Michael Kors, Tory Burch and Gucci brands.
Officers found a box from Indonesia the following day with a single Audemars Piguet watch “lacking the fine details needed to be genuine,” according to the release.
Both shipments were addressed to private residences in North Carolina and Maryland, the agency said.
On December 6, officers found more than 750 pieces of fake jewelry after inspecting freight containing fake Gucci belts, jewelry labeled as Van Cleef & Arpels and counterfeit watches disguised as Cartier, Apple and Franck Muller brands, the release stated.
A legitimate Van Cleef & Arpels necklace advertised on the French luxury jewelry company’s website on Thursday was available for $24,300, while a watch on the higher end of the price spectrum was listed on Cartier’s website for $300,000.
Another seizure on December 7 uncovered additional fake merchandise, including fake jewelry, watches and headbands marked with logos like Chanel, Coach, Rolex Louis Vuitton – and even Mickey Mouse, according to the CBP.
“With the influx in e-commerce, purchasing gifts online can be misleading through third-party sites. We encourage you to be aware and report any suspicious illegal trade activity,” Cincinnati port director Alrick Brooks said in the release.
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