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Federal agents seize more than $8M in fake designer bracelets in Cincinnati, Louisville

CINCINNATI — Federal agents seized more than $8 million in counterfeit Cartier bracelets on Thursday, authorities said.

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According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, the items were confiscated on the same day in Cincinnati and Louisville, Kentucky, the agency stated in a news release on Tuesday.

Officers stopped shipments coming from Hong Kong that contained more than 800 counterfeit designer bracelets, WXIX reported. In Cincinnati, agents detained two parcels that were addressed to a residence in West Palm Beach, Florida, the CBP stated in its release.

The first parcel contained 267 fake Cartier bracelets, while the second box had 137.

Meanwhile, in Louisville, agents inspecting parcels found a shipment from the same Hong Kong location that had been discovered in Cincinnati. This package was addressed to the same residence in West Palm Beach and contained 401 Cartier rings and bracelets.

“This is a significant seizure for CBP, but unfortunately, CBP officers see counterfeit shipments like this every day,” Richard Gillespie, Port Director-Cincinnati, said in the news release. “I’m extremely proud of these officers’ determination in stopping illicit shipments, and our commitment to protecting the American economy.”

“Driven by the rise in e-commerce, the market for counterfeit goods in the United States has shifted in recent years from one in which consumers often knowingly purchased counterfeits to one in which counterfeiters try to deceive consumers into buying goods they believe are authentic,” Thomas Mahn, Port Director-Louisville, said in the statement. “Consumers are unaware that they’re buying a dangerous product as the counterfeit is just that good.”