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Cincinnati, OH--In a crackdown on counterfeit merchandise, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Cincinnati have intercepted shipments containing fake designer-brand jewelry with an estimated genuine value of over $6.9 million. These seizures, occurring in the first week of December, have prevented the distribution of these counterfeit goods to intended recipients in North Carolina and Maryland.

[Representative image via istock.com/BBuilder]

A report in Local 3 News stated that the confiscated shipments, originating from India, China and Indonesia, were identified as counterfeit by the CBP's Centers for Excellence and Expertise, specialists in trade and authenticity verification. Among the seized items were 783 pieces of fake jewelry intercepted on December 1, intended for a North Carolina address. This shipment, originating from Hong Kong, comprised counterfeit bracelets, earrings, and necklaces falsely branded as Versace, Christian Dior, and Fendi, valued at nearly $1 million if authentic.

The CBP attributed the seizure to multiple indicators of inauthenticity, including substandard packaging, lack of detailed craftsmanship, and suspicious shipping routes. Following this, on December 2, officers seized 60 sets of counterfeit jewelry emulating high-end brands like Cartier, Michael Kors, Tory Burch, and Gucci, also from Hong Kong. The next day, a shipment from Indonesia containing a single Audemars Piguet watch, which failed authenticity checks, was confiscated.

Further inspections on December 6 revealed over 750 pieces of counterfeit jewelry, including fake Gucci belts, jewelry imitating Van Cleef & Arpels, and watches mimicking Cartier, Apple, and Franck Muller brands. The high value of genuine items from these brands was highlighted by examples from Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier, whose legitimate products range from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

An additional seizure on December 7 uncovered more fake merchandise, including jewelry, watches, and headbands falsely marked with logos of Chanel, Coach, Rolex, Louis Vuitton, and even Mickey Mouse.

Check out more in the report in Local 3 News.