Nearly 15,000 Fake Nike and Air Jordan Sneakers Seized in Los Angeles
Customs and Border Protection agents recently seized 14,806 Nike and Air Jordan sneakers at the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach.
The fakes were discovered during an enforcement exam, when two containers from China marked ‘napkins’ attempted to pass through the seaport (the largest of its kind in the US). In cooperation with the Apparel, Footwear and Textiles Center of Excellence, the Nikes and Jays were quickly identified as fugazi.
The counterfeit creps could've fetched a retail price of approximately $2.24 million if sold as authentic — not surprising considering the was part of the seized inventory.
‘Counterfeit brand-name shoes is a multi-million dollar criminal industry,’ said LA/Long Beach Port Director LaFonda Sutton-Burke. ‘The trafficking of these items is extremely lucrative and becomes more profitable in markets involving successful and popular products.’
Customs and Border Protection also links illegal goods trade to smuggling and funding criminal operations.