Fake Gucci, Chanel and thousands of erectile dysfunction pills seized at LAX, feds say
Thousands of fake Gucci, Chanel and other high fashion products were seized at the Los Angeles International Airport — along with thousands of erectile dysfunction pills, officials said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at LAX found more than 3,500 counterfeit products from brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Versace, Gucci, Fendi, Nike, Under Armor, Adidas, Cartier and more in a shipment coming from Hong Kong, officials said in a Monday news release.
Among the boxes of fake designer handbags, shoes, sunglasses and watches were 2,160 pills of Sildenafil, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction. Officers also found 4,500 pills of Ranitidine Hydrochloride, which is used to treat and prevent stomach ulcers, CBP said.
“If genuine, the seized merchandise would have had an estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1,884,769,” CBP said. “CBP officers discovered the counterfeit goods while conducting an enforcement exam on a shipment of 99 boxes that weighed 3,827 pounds and arrived on June 25.”
CBP officers regularly find counterfeit products. In 2019, officials seized nearly 27,600 shipments for violating intellectual property rights, CBP said. Watches and jewelry are common fake goods and are about 15% of all seizures.
“Watches and jewelry continued as the top product seized by total MSRP with seizures valued at over $687 million, representing 44% of the total,” CBP said. “Wearing apparel and accessories are second with seizures estimated to be valued at more than $226 million.”
