LOUISVILLE, Ky. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Louisville, Kentucky, seized a parcel containing counterfeit watches Thursday that, had they been genuine, would have been worth nearly $22.6 million.
All 584 seized counterfeit watches purported to be Rolex or Cartier items, the agency stated in a news release.
The shipment, which originated from an individual in Hong Kong, was en route to a residence in Jamaica, New York, when it was intercepted.
“Intellectual property theft threatens America’s economic vitality and funds criminal activities and organized crime,” LaFonda Sutton-Burke, director of field operations for the Chicago Field Office stated.
“Our officers are dedicated to protecting private industry and consumers by removing these kinds of shipments from our commerce,” Sutton-Burke added.
A second seizure made the same night netted another parcel containing six counterfeit Richard Millie watches that would have been worth $755,000 had they been genuine.
According to the agency, agents seized nearly $1.2 billion in counterfeit watches in 2021.