$635K WORTH OF KNOCKOFF GUCCI, LOUIS VUITTON LUXURY ITEMS SEIZED AT U.S. AIRPORT, INVESTIGATORS SAY

Nealy 450 knockoff luxury designer items were seized by customs officials at a U.S. Airport. 

The fakes would have been worth more than a half-million dollars if they were the real things!

The shipment arrived at Chicago O’Hare International Airport from Thailand on March 18. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers decided to examine the shipment to determine the admissibility of the products. That is when they discovered the box contained counterfeit designer items, authorities said. 

During the examination of the package, the officers found:

• 11 Louis Vuitton handbags
• 11 Gucci handbags
• 131 pairs of Chanel earrings
• 16 pairs of Dior earrings
• 6 Louis Vuitton facemasks
• 5 Louis Vuitton pendants
• 1 pair of Fendi sunglasses
• 24 Gucci hair clips
• 52 Chanel hair clips 
• Many other items

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers seized 445 counterfeit items, and if they were real designer products, they would have been worth $635,600, according to authorities.

Customs and Border Protection officers said they seized the merchandise for violating trademark laws. They added the shipment was heading to a home in Wichita, Kansas, and the name of the shipper was the same name as the recipient. 

Shane Campbell, Area Port Director for Chicago, said, “This is just another example of the work our officers do to protect consumers and the U.S. economy. 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.”

The Custom and Border Protection officers seize millions of counterfeit goods from countries around the world every year, authorities said.

With the growth of e-commerce and shopping online, consumers can search for and easily buy millions of products through these online vendors. However, this can lead to counterfeit and pirated goods entering the U.S. economy more easily, according to authorities.