Anti-Piracy Seizure Information
Mississippi | Texas | Virginia | United Kingdom
Mississippi
March 29, 2022 – On March 29 at the port of Vicksburg/Jackson, Mississippi, CBP officers inspected a Chinese shipment that contained 250 women’s brooches that were determined to be counterfeit. They all had the “CC” Chanel trademark. If this jewelry was genuine, the value would have been $162,500. Previous counterfeit products seized by the Vicksburg CBP include jewelry, designer handbags and shoes.
During the 2021 fiscal year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Vicksburg seized 431 counterfeit shipments with a retail value of more than $5 million. Nationwide, there have been 20,000 counterfeit shipments seized by CBP of goods that, if genuine, would have had a retail value of more than $1.3 billion.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection – April 1, 2022
Texas
March 22, 2022 – In Laredo, Texas, a woman of South Korean descent and her son, a Texas resident, were indicted for selling counterfeit merchandise. The two sold counterfeit apparel out of their store, Fashion Outlet. The investigation started with a counterfeit Louis Vuitton t-shirt, and according to the charges, police confiscated 346 products from the shop. Both mother and son admitted to selling the fake designer clothing, and allegedly purchased the counterfeit merchandise from California wholesalers. If they are convicted, they face up to a $250,000 fine and as much as 10 years in jail.
United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas – March 22, 2022
Virginia
March 29, 2022 – A Pennsylvania man traveling from Dubai to Dulles Airport had his bag checked—and was busted for trying to bring in a quarter-million dollars in counterfeit merchandise. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents seized and searched his bag and discovered 18 counterfeit designer watches from brands like Cartier, Rolex and Patek Philippe. He was also transporting two pairs of counterfeit Ray Ban sunglasses and a fake Louis Vuitton purse. The CBP’s specialists determined them to be counterfeit products that violated companies’ intellectual property rights, so the merchandise was seized. If they were authentic, they would have been valued at $254,000. All the products were made in China and shipped to a seller in Pakistan, where the man purchased them.
Travel Noire – Amara Amaryah – April 4, 2022
United Kingdom
March 25, 2022 – A company based in Salford, near Manchester, England, has been fined £46,500 (approximately $56,241) for selling 24,000 dangerous counterfeit products to the public. Authorities found that they sold 10,000 counterfeit liquid vaping products, more than 9,000 fake Apple phone accessories, 800 unsafe counterfeit Christmas lights (some with exposed wires) and 400 counterfeit, non-compliant toys and games over 10 months. The company imports, produces and distributes these products, and acts as a fulfillment house, although it claimed to be merely a distributor for other companies and not aware that the products were illegal and not safe. The goods, which the company had to forfeit, had an estimated value of £270,000 (U.S. $326,579).