A shipment of counterfeit kicks worth nearly $55,000 was taken off the black market by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in December.
According to a press release from CBP, the fake sneakers were seized Dec. 15 at the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
The shipment, which originated from China and was on its way to Alexandria, Va., was made up of seven parcels containing 400 pairs of fake Air Jordan shoes. The press release states that the total estimated value of the haul would be $54,715 — if the shoes were authentic, that is.
“Customs and Border Protection will continue to work closely with our trade and consumer safety partners to seize counterfeit and inferior merchandise, especially those products that pose potential harm to American consumers, negatively impact legitimate business brand reputations and potentially steal jobs from U.S. workers,” said Daniel Mattina, acting port director for the CBP area of Washington, D.C.
Watch on FN
“Intellectual property rights enforcement is a Customs and Border Protection priority trade issue, and a mission that we take seriously,” added Casey Owen Durst, field operations director of CBP Baltimore.
According to the CBP, it seized a record number of items that violated intellectual property rights during 2016, with $3.8 million worth of counterfeit goods seized on a typical day.
In December 2016, officials in Iquique, Chile, confiscated $32 million worth of fake sneakers.
Want more?
A Look Inside a Counterfeit Factory Making Off-White x Nike Sneakers
These Made-to-Order Jordan Shoes Have Over 15,000 Crystals and Cost More Than $6,000
Eminem’s Exclusive Air Jordan Shoes Are Coming Back, but They Won’t Be Easy to Get
