US Customs Seizes Thousands of Fake IDs From China
Counterfeit driver's licenses seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protections officers in Louisville, Ky. (U.S. Customs and Border Protections) |
The six intercepted shipments, heading to different individuals in the New York area, contained 2,909 counterfeit driver’s licenses and 3,123 blank card stocks used to make fake licenses, according to a Nov. 25 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) press release.
One of the shipments was bound for a convicted child rapist in the New York area, who officials suspect “entices minors with alcohol and counterfeit IDs before engaging in illicit activity,” CBP said.
The IDs were for various states, including Florida, Michigan, Illinois. Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, and a few other coastal states.
CBP authorities in Louisville also notified their Merphis office of shipments destined for that area, which resulted in an additional 527 fake identification cards being seized.
Thomas Mahn, CBP director for Louisville Port, said that the uses of fake IDs were far beyond underage drinking. These include “identity theft, worksite enforcement, critical infrastructure protection, fraud linked to immigration-related crimes such as human smuggling and human trafficking,” he said.
Mahn added that the documents could enable “those individuals associated with terrorism to minimize scrutiny from travel screening measures.”
A March study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found that the United States was the country most affected by counterfeit goods in 2016, with 24 percent of the fake products seized worldwide infringing its brands or patents.
The report also identified China as the main source of counterfeit and pirated goods, accounting for more than 80 percent of the global fake products seizures in 2016. It also found that China and Hong Kong accounted for $322 billion of counterfeit or pirated product exports worldwide, making up around 63.4 percent of the global total.
Counterfeit Toothbrush Heads
In another recent seizure, CBP officers on Nov. 7 seized 20,400 counterfeit Oral-B toothbrush heads in Philadelphia designated to Delran, New Jersey.
The seizure came a month after the officers flagged an air cargo shipment for examination. The authorities said that they detained the shipment upon noticing the “poor packaging and questionable quality,” which raised suspicions that it might contain counterfeit goods, according to a Nov. 27 press release.
The shipment consisted of 1,200 10-pack and 2,800 3-pack toothbrush heads that had the Oral-B brand logo.
CBP officers seized 20,400 counterfeit Oral-B toothbrush heads in Philadelphia, Pa., on Nov. 7, 2019. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) |
Authentic products of the same brand would carry a total retail price of $95,600, the release said.
CBP warned that counterfeit goods could pose a serious health threat to consumers.
“Counterfeit brush heads are manufactured in unsanitary facilities with substandard materials that may sicken users or cause bleeding to a user’s gums or mouth, and structural defects may cause the brush head to detach and potentially choke users,” the agency said.
Related News
Vietnam ready to export first batch of sweet potatoes to China
13:57 | 06/04/2023 Anti-Smuggling
Customs seizes 20 drug-related offences
10:23 | 05/04/2023 Anti-Smuggling
Lang Son: Goods rushing to border gate increases sharply, potential risk of congestion
10:33 | 02/04/2023 Customs
Still having problems when exporting to China
20:54 | 25/03/2023 Import-Export
Latest News
Customs aspects to consider in your strategic sourcing
09:27 | 26/03/2023 World Customs
Egyptian customs thwart drug smuggling attempt
10:24 | 23/03/2023 World Customs
ASEAN Customs strengthen capacity for Customs Modernization
15:52 | 22/03/2023 World Customs
Egypt customs officers thwart attempts to smuggle antiques, gold bars
11:54 | 22/03/2023 World Customs
More News
Customs nabs Kozhikode woman with gold worth Rs 1 crore hidden in undergarment
16:22 | 15/03/2023 World Customs
Saudi customs clearance time reduced to just 2 hours: Official
10:59 | 18/02/2023 World Customs
Hong Kong customs busts city’s largest sea smuggling case of 2022
17:46 | 29/12/2022 World Customs
Taiwan, Germany launch reciprocal automated customs clearance program - Focus Taiwan
10:25 | 20/12/2022 World Customs
Driving Customs performance with data and technology in changing landscape of global trade
10:48 | 02/11/2022 World Customs
Amid rampant smuggling from Myanmar, Customs facing manpower shortage
17:28 | 31/10/2022 World Customs
The WCO successfully holds its 18th Global Information and Intelligence Strategy Project Group
16:04 | 12/10/2022 World Customs
Customs seize HK$14m cocaine inside cotton linters, three arrested
15:01 | 19/09/2022 World Customs
Airlines to give international traveller data to Customs
14:21 | 17/08/2022 World Customs
Your care
The system has not recorded your reading habits.
Please Login/Register so that the system can provide articles according to your reading needs.
Customs aspects to consider in your strategic sourcing
09:27 | 26/03/2023 World Customs
Egyptian customs thwart drug smuggling attempt
10:24 | 23/03/2023 World Customs
ASEAN Customs strengthen capacity for Customs Modernization
15:52 | 22/03/2023 World Customs
Egypt customs officers thwart attempts to smuggle antiques, gold bars
11:54 | 22/03/2023 World Customs
Customs nabs Kozhikode woman with gold worth Rs 1 crore hidden in undergarment
16:22 | 15/03/2023 World Customs