STERLING, Va. (WMAR) — Customs and Border Protection officers at Dulles Airport seized over $207,000 worth of fake designer hats that arrived through air cargo.
According to Customs and Border Protection, officers inspected two shipments of designer brand name hats containing 200 to 250 hats with brand names by Gucci, Chanel, LV Supreme, Y-3 Adidas and Louis Vuitton.
Officials say the larger shipment arrived from China and was addressed to Centerville, Virginia. The second shipment shipped from Hong Kong and was destined to Manassas Park, Virginia.
The agency's trade expert officers were able to determine that the items were fake through the trademark holders.
The agency says the importation of fake merchandise can cause revenue loss, damage the country's economy and threaten the health and safety of American people.
“Consumer safety and trademark protection is one of Customs and Border Protection’s top trade enforcement priorities,” said Casey Durst, CBP Director of Field Operations in Baltimore. “Our officers and import specialists will continue to work closely with our trade and consumer safety partners to identify and seize counterfeit merchandise, especially those products that pose potential harm to American consumers.”
In 2017, CBP officers seized about $3.7 million worth of products with IPR violations.
