Feds Seize 364 Pieces Of Fake Jewelry In Minneapolis From Hong Kong

MINNEAPOLIS — Federal authorities say they intercepted a shipment in Minneapolis filled with 364 pieces of counterfeit designer bracelets, earrings, rings, and necklaces on April 2.

The shipment — which arrived from Hong Kong — contained jewelry bearing the trademarks of famous luxury brands, including:

• 124 bracelets bearing the logos of Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Cartier, and Chanel
• 96 pairs of earrings bearing the logos of Tory Burch, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci
• 84 necklaces bearing the logos of Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Gucci
• 60 rings bearing the logos of Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel, and Gucci.

The items infringed on the designer’s protected trademarks, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The items bore counterfeit marks as the shipment was "mis-manifested," the merchandise was of poor quality, lacked labels, and had incorrect packaging, authorities said.

The shipment was heading to a residence in Hutchinson and had the items been real, the MSRP for these products would have been over $482,000, according to investigators.

"This just goes to show you how criminals are using express consignment facilities to ship their items to unsuspecting consumers damaging our economy," said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations-Chicago Field Office, in a statement.

"I want to congratulate our officers for their outstanding job. CBP is the first line of defense, and we will continue to protect the safety of consumers."

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

The trafficking of counterfeit goods is a massively profitable illicit business and offers criminals a complementary source of income and a way through which they can launder money, authorities said.

In fiscal year 23, CBP reportedly seized 19,522 shipments with intellectual property rights violations for a total of nearly 23 million counterfeit items.

If the seized products were genuine, their total MSRP would be valued at $2.4 billion, according to investigators.