Customs officers seize counterfeit Apple products in Pittsburgh area
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers confiscated counterfeit Apple products in two recent seizures in the Pittsburgh area.
In these incidents, CBP seized 588 counterfeit Apple Lightning charging cables and 64 Apple AirPods, according to customs officials.. They reported that the retail price of authentic counterparts would be approximately $24,000.
The CBP warned that these counterfeit devices could damage phone batteries or entire smart phones.
“Consumers should be aware that if a price for a product is too good to be true, then the product is likely counterfeit and potentially harmful,” Casey Durst, the CBP’s director of field operations in Baltimore, said. “Customs and Border Protection urges consumers to protect themselves and their families by purchasing safe, authentic goods from reputable vendors.”
Both seized shipments were sent to separate Allegheny County addresses from Hong Kong, the CBP said.
The CBP will destroy the counterfeit items.
In 2019, the CBP seized approximately $4.3 million worth of products with Intellectual Property Rights violations daily.
Importing counterfeit merchandise causes several issues, including revenue loss and economic damage. These counterfeit items can also pose potential danger to the health and safety of the American people, the CBP said.
The risk for counterfeit merchandise is particularly high in express shipments and international purchases, according to customs officials.