U.S. Customs and Border Patrol knows you can’t rely on the label. On June 4, 2023, it stopped a shipment at Chicago’s O’Hare airport labelled “fashion sunglasses.” Arriving from Thailand and headed for a residence in Bedford, Indiana, the package did contain fashion sunglasses – with counterfeit designer branding – and a whole lot more.
Among the 36 pairs of purported designer sunglasses from Louis Vuitton, Versace, Chanel, and others, were socks labelled Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and Dior, and . . . you guessed it, watches. There were 22 timepieces falsely claiming to be goods of Franck Muller, Patek Phillipe, Adidas, and Rolex. Had the items been legitimate, the estimated retail value was $638,000.
“CBP protects honest trade and hardworking businesses,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations, Chicago Field Office. “Counterfeit goods defraud consumers and businesses. Our officers are dedicated to the CBP mission and work diligently for American consumers by stopping the flow of illegitimate and pirated merchandise.”
Once again, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Image courtesy cbp.gov
Read more at cbp.gov
- Maura Carlin posted 11 months ago
- last edited 11 months ago
