Customs and Border Protection seizes two parcels of knockoff designer items at O'Hare
CHICAGO (CBS) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted two shipments of counterfeit jewelry and apparel at O'Hare International Airport this week.
Both parcels came to the International Mail Branch at O'Hare from Thailand on Monday, according to CBP. If the items in the parcels had been authentic, they would have been worth $398,000 altogether.
Proceeds from the sale of counterfeit goods can go toward criminal organizations that are involved in such activity as money laundering and drug trafficking, CBP emphasized.
In the first shipment, CBP officers found sunglasses bearing the counterfeit trademarks of Channel, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and Fendi; watches claiming to be from Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Rolex; necklaces claiming to be from Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Tiffany; earrings claiming to be from Chanel and Versace; and pendants and bracelets claiming to be from Chanel.
The shipment was going to Mumford, Tennessee. If the items in the parcel had really been what they claimed to be, the total value would have been $231,333.
In the second package – which was going to a home in San Juan, Texas – CBP officers found counterfeit designer items including earrings claiming to be from Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, Prada, Christian Dior, Fende, Hermès, Michael Kors, Gucci, Chanel, Tory Burch, and Louis Vuitton; and scarves and belts each bearing fake Louis Vuitton and Gucci trademarks. The total value of the items would have been $147,000 if they had been genuine, the CBP said.
Such knockoff items are usually sold in underground outlets or third-party e-commerce websites, with the sellers often using photos of real designer products in their listings to defraud consumers, the CBP said.
"This is just another example of the work our officers do to protects consumers and the U.S. economy," LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director, of field operations for the CBP Chicago Field Office, said in a news release.
"As consumers increasingly purchase from online or third-party vendors, our officers are at the frontline to guard against defrauders expecting to make money selling fake merchandise."
