U.S. Customs agents seize over $2.5 million in counterfeit jewelry in Kentucky

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Louisville intercepted a package from Hong Kong last week that contained counterfeit jewelry which would have been worth more than $2.5 million of counterfeit jewelry if it were real, officials said.

The package contained fake necklaces, bracelets and earrings that were supposed to look like they came from Chanel, Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, officials said. The package contained 2,074 pieces of counterfeit jewelry and was heading to a corporation in New York.

“CBP is responsible for enforcing nearly 500 U.S. trade laws and regulations on behalf of 49 other federal agencies. CBP officers play a critical role in the nation’s efforts to protect the American consumer, the U.S economy, and U.S. jobs,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations at the Chicago Field Office.

“This is yet another dramatic example of how dedicated CBP officers are to the CBP mission.”

In June, Customs agents intercepted a package containing over $22.5 million in counterfeit watches.

Just two weeks ago Customs agents seized 2,265 counterfeit driver’s licenses in a package from Hong Kong.

According to Customs and Border Protection, officers seized an average of $9 million worth of products with Intellectual Property Rights violations daily in 2021.