Thousands of Counterfeit Perfumes Shipped to Southern California Didn't Pass the Sniff Test
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized perfume bottles that were being passed off as products from high-end labels like Dior, Chanel and Paco Rabanne.
Counterfeit perfume bottles and cartons seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Los Angeles.
Something smelled funny about a large shipment of what appeared to be designer perfumes that arrived in Southern California from Hong Kong.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently seized the shipment of bottles and cartons at the Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport. It turned out to be counterfeit items with an estimated value, if genuine, of more than $366,000, authorities said Thursday.
The counterfeit perfumes were found in a shipment of items being imported from Hong Kong, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. A shipment of more than 1,000 cartons were on the ship manifest as cellular phone accessories.
But during the inspection, CBP officers discovered over 80 of those cartons actually contained counterfeit perfumes that were being passed off as products from high-end labels like Dior, Chanel and Paco Rabanne, the statement said.
In total, CBP seized 3,738 bottles of counterfeit perfumes.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Thousands of counterfeit items that would be worth millions --if they were genuine -- were seized in an LAX bust. The items included fake brands like Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and more Aug. 14, 2019. Read more about the other products found, like 678 pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes, 100 counterfeit Versace belts, and more here.
CBP
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized 450 pork tamales on Monday, Nov. 2, 2015. See the story here.
USDA APHIS PPQ Los Angeles
Sixty-seven giant African snails were seized by officials on Monday, July 14, 2014. See the story here.
Department of Justice
A Fountain Valley man smuggled nearly 100 Asian songbirds in March 2017 on his flight from Vietnam to Los Angeles. Most of the birds died in transit. The man was arrested on federal animal smuggling charges on May 2, 2017. See the story here.
Getty
A 71-year-old traveler from South Korea was stopped by customs officials who discovered nearly 40,000 fake pills stuffed in his luggage and a golf bag on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. The bust included more than 29,000 fake Viagra pills -similar to the ones pictured here- along with 8,000 fake Cialis pills and 700 Levitra look-alikesnSee the story here.
TSA, LAX
Two passengers tried to smuggle 100 pounds of marijuana in cupcake-covered wrapping paper on Sept. 25, 2013. See the story here.
CBP
In August 2011, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at an air cargo consignment facility of Los Angeles International Airport seized three gallons of Gamma-Butyrolactone, a strong intoxicant used to make the "date rape" drug. See the story here.
CBP
Thousands of fake MAC brushes were confiscated in shipments between Jan. 20 and Feb. 11 of 2011. Authorities said the haul, which included about 5,400 brushes, had a suggested retail price of $112,500. See the story here.
CBP
Customs agents seized 200 pounds of dates from a passenger due to the possibility of disease and insect infestation. The passenger told authorities the fresh dates were from Saudi Arabia. See the story here.
U.S. attorney's office
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service investigators discovered 14 live birds strapped to a traveler’s legs in April of 2009. The man had bird feathers and droppings on his socks, as well as birds' tail feathers visible under his pants. See the story here.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
“Part of our critical CBP mission is to facilitate legitimate trade with a goal of protecting American consumers from dangerous products and to create a level playing field for American businesses,'' said Carlos C. Martel, director of the CBP office of field operations in Los Angeles. “In this case, we have succeeded in our mission by protecting the American consumer from the potential harm associated with counterfeit perfumes, which can sometimes contain unknown chemicals, and by protecting the intellectual property rights of legitimate businesses.”
