Shipment of counterfeit items seized in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WTVQ) – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers say they seized a large shipment of counterfeit luxury watches, handbags, and sunglasses at the Louisville Port of Entry.

The combined manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) for the fake goods was worth an estimated $2,574,417, had the goods been genuine, according to investigators.

The shipment contained 57 Rolex watches, 19 Oakley sunglasses, four Michael Kors handbags, and five Hublot watches, all determined to be counterfeit by CBP’s trade experts at the Centers of Excellence and Expertise.

“Counterfeit and pirated goods pose a serious danger to America’s economic vitality and national security,” said Cleveland Assistant Area Port Director Eugene Matho. “Our officers understand their critical role in protecting the U.S. from these kinds of threats and continue to work with our external stakeholders to ensure that violative goods do not make it into the U.S. economy.”

CBP has designated Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement as a priority trade issue, meaning it is a high-risk area that can cause significant revenue loss, harm the U.S. economy, or threaten the health and safety of the American people. On a typical day in 2018, CBP seized $3.7 million worth of products with IPR violations.

CBP conducts operations at ports of entry throughout the United States, and regularly screens arriving international passengers and cargo for narcotics, weapons, and other restricted or prohibited products.

In 2017 CBP established an educational initiative at U.S. airports and online in order to raise consumer awareness and conscientiousness about the consequences and dangers that can be associated with the purchase of counterfeit and pirated goods.  Information about the Truth Behind Counterfeits campaign can be found at www.cbp.gov/fakegoodsrealdangers.

If you have any information regarding suspected fraud or illegal trade activity, please contact CBP through the e-Allegations Online Trade Violation Reporting System or by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT.

IPR violations can also be reported to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center at https://www.iprcenter.gov/referral/ or by telephone at 1-866-IPR-2060.