U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Louisville seized a shipment of 160 counterfeit watches from Taiwan on November 17. Had these goods been genuine, the shipment would have had a combined Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $2.57 million.
The shipment was heading to a residence in Houston when officers intercepted the parcel for inspection. Officers discovered 160 Rolex Just Date watches and seized them for bearing the protected trademarks of Rolex. The items were deemed to be inauthentic by CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise, the agency’s trade experts.
“Our CBP officers diligently work to protect honest and hardworking legitimate businesses by targeting and intercepting these fraudulent items,” said Director of Field Operations, LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Chicago Field Office. “We continue to protect our community and the consumer from these unregulated counterfeit items that could potentially cause harm to our economy.”
Illegitimate sales are some of the most profitable transnational crimes. Counterfeiters sell inauthentic versions of popular products in response to trends, often through online sources, which adversely impacts legitimate U.S. businesses. These items, including fake medications, perfumes, and cosmetics; children’s toys and costumes; fashion, jewelry, and luxury products; and unsafe electronics and automative parts, can pose serious health and safety risks to American consumers as they are often made with substandard or harmful materials…