by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:58 AM ET, Thu August 15, 2019
United States Customs and Border Protection agents discovered $3.4 million worth of counterfeit Gucci belts, Hermes handbags and Fendi shorts at a Los Angeles airport Wednesday.
According to the Customs and Border Protection's official website, over 5,300 fake products were discovered at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) by officers examining a shipment flown to the U.S. from Hong Kong.
The $3.4-million seizure was estimated with an approximate value if real.
Some of the confiscated faux items included 1,242 Gucci belts, 678 pairs of Nike shoes, 531 Louis Vuitton handbags, 500 Samsung adapters, 502 Gucci fanny packs, 230 Hermes handbags, 192 Casio Shock watches, 144 Ferragamo belts, 100 Versace belts and 119 Fendi shorts.
"The American public should be aware that buying a counterfeit product is a lose-lose proposition, because the money they paid often funds criminal enterprises," Customs and Border Protection's Donald R. Kusser said in a statement. "In addition, buyers get a substandard low-quality product, containing unknown chemicals and likely produced under inhumane conditions."
In 2018, Customs and Border Protection agency announced it seized 33,810 shipments of items that violated intellectual property rights with an approximate value if real of $1.4 billion. Jewelry and watches have the highest worth and represent 44 percent of total seizures.
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