WASHINGTON — Department of Homeland Security officials netted almost $700,000 in counterfeit goods in two separate raids in Milwaukee and New Orleans this month.
The department’s Customs and Border Protection agents seized counterfeit Tiffany jewelry, handbags, footwear, NFL and NBA jerseys and other items worth $431,587 at retail in a monthlong operation at DHL and FedEx facilities in Milwaukee.
“It is very important that people buy from legitimate authorized retailers,” said David Murphy, the CBP director of field operations in Chicago, which oversaw the Milwaukee raid.
Separately, agents from the department’s Immigration & Customs Enforcement division seized $256,171 of counterfeit goods, DVD burners and other assets at a flea market in New Orleans this past weekend. Counterfeit brands seized included Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Coach and Dolce & Gabbana. Goods included jeans, purses, T-shirts, polo shirts, hats, jackets and sweatshirts.
In addition, ICE said another $59,000 worth of counterfeit goods were abandoned during the operation.
You May Also Like
“The trade in counterfeit goods costs legitimate businesses billions of dollars in lost revenue,” said Raymond Parmer, the special agent in charge of ICE investigations in New Orleans. “These illicit proceeds also support other criminal activities in the United States and around the world.”