Cincinnati border protection seizes $6.88 million worth of counterfeit jewelry

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Cincinnati seized three shipments of counterfeit jewelry and watches from Hong Kong on Friday and Saturday.

The Centers of Excellence and Expertise deemed the items counterfeit, in which the shipments equated to $6.88 million worth of fake jewelry.

According to Public Affairs Officer Steven Bansbach, one of the shipments held 275 Cartier Love bracelets with the total value of $319. According to the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price, the bracelets would have been $3.27 million if they were real.

A second shipment arrived to border patrol officers on that same Friday, Bansbach said. Officers found 500 counterfeit Cartier bracelets that would have been worth $3.2 million, according to the MSRP.

“These large seizures illustrate the work our officers do every day to protect our country, its citizens, and the economy,” Director of Field Operations-Chicago Field Office LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke said. “Our officers are dedicated to preventing counterfeiters from defrauding consumers and legitimate businesses.”

Border patrol officers received a third shipment on Saturday that contained 13 fake Rolex watches, which would have been worth over $405,000, according to the MSRP.

While e-commerce has allowed people to easily purchase products through online vendors, it has also allowed counterfeit and pirated goods to have access to the U.S. economy, Bansbach said.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. consumers spend more than $100 billion every year on counterfeit products and goods.

“CBP is responsible for enforcing nearly 500 U.S. trade laws and regulations on behalf of 49 other federal agencies,” Port Director for Cincinnati Richard Gillespie said. “CBP officers play a critical role in the Nation’s efforts to keep unsafe counterfeit and pirated goods from harming the American public. This is yet another dramatic example of how CBP officers work every day to protect the American consumer, the US economy and US jobs.”

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has created an educational initiative to raise consumer awareness, the consequences and the dangers that come with purchasing counterfeit items online.

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