INDIANAPOLIS (CBP) – On April 27 and 29 , U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Indianapolis seized two shipments of Rolex watches deemed to be counterfeit by CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise.
Both shipments originated from Hong Kong and were headed to residence in Brooklyn, New York. Based on intelligence gathering and a past history of fraudulent shipments from this vendor, CBP officers detained and inspected the shipments. Inside officers discovered 300 counterfeit Rolex watches in the first shipment and 160 counterfeit Rolex watches in the second. Had the items been genuine, the cumulative Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) would have been $10.1 million. During the month of April, CBP officers in Indianapolis have seized three shipments of counterfeit watches, that if real, would have been worth $20 million.
Intellectual property is an important component of the U.S. economy, and Chicago Director of Field Operations, LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke emphasized the necessary role CBP plays in protecting the economy and consumer safety and health.
“No one buys a luxury brand watch expecting it to fail or fall apart. As consumers increasingly purchase from online or third party vendors, our officers are at the frontline to guard against defrauders expecting to make money selling fake merchandise.”
The rapid growth of e-commerce enables consumers to search for and easily purchase millions of products through online vendors, but this easy access gives counterfeit and pirated goods more ways to enter the U.S. economy. Counterfeit commodities fund smugglers and members of organized crime. Consumers often believe they are buying a genuine product but soon realize the item is substandard.
“This is just another example of the work our officers do to protects consumers and the U.S. economy,” said Jeremy Brodsky, Port Director-Indianapolis. “Our officers are at the frontline protecting the U.S. economy and guarding against criminals making money by selling fake merchandise.”
