Bogus watches intercepted by CBP officers in Cincinnati

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Cincinnati seized a shipment of 12 counterfeit watches from Colombia on Feb. 15. Had these goods been genuine, the shipment would have had a combined Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price over $279,000.

The shipment was headed for a residence in Los Angeles when officers pulled the parcel for inspection. Officers seized 12 designer-branded watches for bearing counterfeit versions of Rolex, Cartier, Patek Philippe, Tissot, and Invicta trademarks. The items were deemed to be inauthentic by CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise, the agency’s trade experts.

“With the extraordinary growth in e-commerce, it is important to remain aware criminals try to scam shoppers into buying low quality and potentially dangerous counterfeit items,” said Cincinnati Port Director, Eric Zizelman. “Our officers do an incredible job targeting shipments and identifying these violations, working tirelessly every day to protect the consumer and our economy.”

Illegitimate sales are some of the most profitable transnational crimes. Counterfeiters sell inauthentic versions of popular products in response to trends, often through online sources, which adversely impacts legitimate U.S. businesses. These items, including fake medications; perfumes and cosmetics; children’s toys and costumes; fashion, jewelry, and luxury products; and unsafe electronics and automative parts, can pose serious health and safety risks to American consumers as they are often made with substandard or harmful materials.