Federal Agents Crack Down On Counterfeit 49ers Gear
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – Federal agents are cracking down on vendors selling counterfeit San Francisco 49ers gear, with hundreds of thousands of dollars of fake merchandise already being seized.
As the team has made their Super Bowl run, Homeland Security Investigations along with U.S. Customs and Border Protection have been especially busy looking for knockoff gear.
Investigators said some of what they've confiscated included jerseys, hats, and t-shirts.
Federal Agents Crack Down On Counterfeit SF 49er Gear
"If we win, there will be more," said Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Prince. "So there will be more operations, more people selling and we'll be seizing more of this stuff."
Prince said more than $330,000 in phony items had been seized in the Bay Area as part of "Operation Red Zone."
He said we all pay a price because of counterfeiting. "You're undercutting American business," Prince said.
Customs and Border Protection spokesman Frank Falcon said there's no telling what materials have gone into the counterfeit items.
"There are different types of paint, different toxins," he said. "Whatever they can do for a quick turnaround to get it over here."
Agents said they have also shut down 313 websites that were selling phony merchandise.
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