Crime

Customs Seizes More Than 700 Counterfeit Cartier ‘Love’ Bracelets

CrimeSep 20, 2022

Customs Seizes More Than 700 Counterfeit Cartier ‘Love’ Bracelets

Agents in Cincinnati intercepted three shipments of fake brand-name jewels that would be worth more than $10 million if genuine.

20220920_CBP-Cartier.jpg
Customs officers in Cincinnati recently seized three shipments containing counterfeit designer jewelry, including one that had more than 700 fake Cartier “Love” bracelets, two of which are seen here in this photo provided by CBP.
Cincinnati—U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Cincinnati recently seized three shipments of counterfeit jewelry comprised mostly of Cartier bracelets.

According to a CBP press release, officers intercepted a large shipment of counterfeit Cartier “Love” bracelets on Sept. 6. 

It contained 700 bracelets that officers noticed “lacked fine details, were constructed from cheap material, and contained fake … diamonds.”

The package originated in Hong Kong and was headed to a business in Illinois. 

The bracelets would have had a retail value of nearly $8.9 million had they been genuine. 

On the same night, officers were inspecting packages from China when they found two more shipments of counterfeit goods. 

The first contained 60 Cartier bracelets and rings along with other brand-name jewelry, like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Bulgari, and was destined for a private residence in Colorado. 

The second contained four more Cartier Love bracelets heading to a residence in New Jersey. 

The two shipments would’ve had a combined retail value of nearly $2 million if the bracelets had been genuine. 

“While online shopping has increased, CBP stays vigilant by stopping illegal shipments like these from damaging our economy,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations at the CBP’s Chicago field office. 

“Officers at the Port of Cincinnati are always on the lookout to uphold our mission of protecting the American borders from dangerous people and materials.”

 Related stories will be right here …
Brecken Branstratoris the senior editor, gemstones at National Jeweler, covering sourcing, pricing and other developments in the colored stone sector.
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