Feds seize $2.2 million worth of fake Nike shoes at Southern California seaport
Thousands of counterfeit Nike shoes, worth an estimated $2.2 million, have been seized at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport, federal officials announced Wednesday. CBS Los Angeles said authorities found 14,806 pairs of shoes on a shipment arriving from China. Customs and Border Protection officers say they were mislabeled as "napkins" in an attempt to disguise the illicit cargo.
Import specialists and officials from Nike confirmed the shoes were in violation of the Air Jordan 1 Off-White Air, Air Jordan 12, Air Jordan 1, Air Jordan 11 and Air Max 97.
These special editions and retro styles are highly coveted by collectors and resellers. A legitimate pair can resell for $1,500 to $2,000 online.
Such a shipment of genuine shoes would be worth more than $2.2 million.
"Counterfeit brand-name shoes is a multi-million dollar criminal industry. The trafficking of these items is extremely lucrative and becomes more profitable in markets involving successful and popular products," LaFonda Sutton-Burke, Customs and Border Protection Port Director of the LA/Long Beach Seaport, said in a statement.