ICE, CBP Seize Over $39 Million in Fake Pro Sports Goods
A year-long collaboration between CBP and ICE Homeland Security Investigations and other law enforcement resulted in seizures of some 450,000 fake professional sports items, said ICE in a press release (here). The effort, called Operation Team Player, is "an ongoing…
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effort developed by the HSI-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) to crackdown on the illegal importation of counterfeit sports apparel and merchandise,", said ICE. During the week before the Super Bowl, the operation worked with local law enforcement to identify flea markets, retailers and street vendors selling counterfeits, it said. There's been 41 criminal arrests and 35 convictions so far, the agency said. CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske also described some of the agency's other efforts surrounding the Super Bowl. "Our officers use several large scale non-intrusive inspection technology systems to examine commercial items destined to Super Bowl events," he said (here). "This equipment is used daily as part of our operations at land ports, seaports and airports nationwide to keep illegal items out of the country."