LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville and Cincinnati U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized multiple shipments containing over 800 pieces of counterfeit designer jewelry on Jan. 14. The shipments were arriving from the same location in Hong Kong and headed to a residence in West Palm Beach, Fla.
What You Need To Know
- Customs in Louisville, Cincinnati seized multiple shipments containing over 800 pieces of counterfeit designer jewelry
- Shipments were arriving from Hong Kong, headed to residence in Florida
- Had the jewelry been real, the total value of the seizures would be $8.72 million
Officers in Cincinnati detained two shipments. The first box contained 267 Cartier bracelets while the second contained another 137.
On the same night, officers in Louisville found 401 Cartier rings and bracelets in one shipment.
An import specialist reviewed the pieces and determined they were counterfeit. Had they been real, Cincinnati's seizure would have been worth over $4.17 million, while Louisville's would have stood at more than $4.55 million. The total value would have come out to $8.72 million.
“This is a significant seizure for CBP, but unfortunately, CBP officers see counterfeit shipments like this every day,” said Richard Gillespie, Port Director-Cincinnati. “I’m extremely proud of these officers determination in stopping illicit shipments, and our commitment to protecting the American economy.”
In Fiscal Year 2020, CBP seized 26,503 shipments containing goods that violated intellectual property rights nationwide. Had the seized goods been genuine, their total estimated value would be nearly $1.3 billion.
CBP seizes a variety of counterfeit goods, including fake smartphones, accessories, electronics, apparel, and more.