CBP Seizes $2.6M Counterfeit Richard Mille Watches: DFW Airport – Dallas Express

CBP Seizes $2.6M Counterfeit Richard Mille Watches: DFW Airport  Dallas Express

CBP says officers seized 11 fake Richard Mille watches at DFW airport that would have a combined retail price of $2.6 million if genuine. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 11 counterfeit Richard Mille watches at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport that would carry a combined retail price of $2.6 million if authentic, the agency said in an October 23 release. The shipments came from China, with destinations across the southeastern United States. Officers intercepted the watches during an enforcement operation targeting counterfeit luxury merchandise, according to the release. CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise, which provide trade expertise, determined that the watches were counterfeit. Officers seized them for bearing counterfeit versions of registered and recorded trademarks, the agency said.

The $2.6 million figure represents the combined manufacturer’s suggested retail price of genuine watches, rather than an appraisal of the knockoffs. The release did not specify when officers intercepted the shipments, identify the intended recipients, or announce criminal charges. “The sale of fake goods often funds criminal organizations involved in money laundering, drug trafficking, and other illicit trade,” CBP Area Port Director Jayson Ahern said in the release. Ahern’s statement described the broader counterfeit trade. The release did not identify a criminal organization connected to these shipments. The seizure follows earlier efforts to warn travelers about counterfeit merchandise at the