January 8, 2022
Customs agents working at the Port of Houston seized a shipment containing 50,000 fake Apple AirPods
and 920 Nintendo video game consoles early last month for violating intellectual property rights (IPR), U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced on Thursday.
The officers discovered the illegitimate products after inspecting a shipment of goods arriving from China into the United States and determined that they appeared to be fake. They then sent them to import specialists for review.
CBP’s Electronics Center of Expertise and Excellence import specialists determined the electronic goods were indeed counterfeit and on Dec. 8, CBP officers seized the shipment containing the 50,000 fake Apple AirPods and 920 fake Nintendo video game consoles.
The shipment of fake products would have a domestic value of over $2.6 million and a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of over $6.5 million had they been genuine, officials said.
“All year round, our officers take great care inspecting arriving international goods to ensure they are not counterfeit or harmful to consumers,” said Houston/Galveston Area Port Director Roderick W. Hudson. “One of our agency’s missions is to prevent the entry of illicit goods that could negatively impact our economy all while supporting legitimate trade.”
