U.S. customs agents in Louisville seize thousands of pieces of counterfeit jewelry

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Louisville intercepted three shipments of counterfeit designer jewelry July 1-2, according to a statement from the CBP.

The shipments carried 2,387 pieces of jewelry, including rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings. The jewelry had various designer trademarks, including Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and Hermes.

The release said the CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise deemed the jewelry was inauthentic.

If the jewelry had been genuine, the shipments would have had a combined value of $10.08 million, the agency said.

“These large seizures illustrate the work our officers do every day to protect our country, its citizens, and the economy,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations for the Chicago Field Office, in the release. “Every day CBP officers are seizing these fraudulent de minimis shipments sent by bad actors. Criminals are trying to exploit the mail environment by peddling their counterfeit products.”

The shipments originated from China with plans to be sent to Brooklyn, New York and Miami.

The release said that trafficking counterfeit goods gives criminals a source of income and money laundering opportunities. Profits made from selling the counterfeit goods can also be used for the production of more fake products, the agency said.

“Counterfeiting is a hugely profitable business, with criminals relying on the continued high demand for cheap goods coupled with low production costs,” the release said.