Border protection officers in Port Huron seize counterfeit designer bags, clothes

Customs and Border Protection officers in Port Huron earlier this month seized more than $20,000 in counterfeit designer clothes and purses at the Blue Water Bridge, officials said Wednesday.

Officers seized the shipment of fake Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Gucci and Versace handbags and clothing on March 2, officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.

The officers were conducting enforcement operations when they identified a commercial shipment labeled as "'clothes bags" and selected the shipment for further inspection. They found numerous items and determined the brand marks had been counterfeited.

The goods were sent from Canada and it's estimated they would have been worth more than $21,000 if they had been genuine, according to the agency.

CBP officials said these types of counterfeit products are typically sold in underground outlets and on third party e-commerce websites. Proceeds from their sale often fund smugglers and organized crime operations, they said. Their sale hurts the U.S. economy, costs Americans jobs and threatens consumer health and safety, officials also said.

"This is a great example of the work our officers do to protect consumers and the U.S. economy,” John Nowak, the agency's acting port director in Port Huron, said in a statement.

cramirez@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @CharlesERamirez