$1.5 million in counterfeit items seized at Port of Tacoma, officials say

TACOMA, Wash. — U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents seized a $1.5 million shipment of counterfeit items, including high-end handbags and belts, at the Port of Tacoma on Tuesday, the agency announced Friday.

The 12,000 items of poor-quality merchandise included knockoff Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein and Gucci products, agency spokesman Jason Givens said.

Customs officers noticed discrepancies in the shipping manifests and decided to investigate the cargo in the ship, which came to Tacoma from China, Givens said.

The $1.5 million figure is the value of the goods were they legitimate.

"Seizures of this value do not occur often in Tacoma," Givens said.

There are seizures at the Port of Tacoma a couple times per month, Givens said, though many other items are rejected from entering the country or abandoned by their couriers.

The seized property will be destroyed.

Click here to read the full story on the Tacoma News Tribune.

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