CBP Seizes $6.2 Million Worth Of Counterfeit Watches, Steroids Found In Package From China

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport recently seized a shipment of counterfeit watches and steroids that would have been worth a total of more than $6 million if genuine.

CBP’s Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team at O’Hare encountered a shipment from China bound for California and pulled the parcel for inspection. They found a variety of watches bearing suspected trademarks of Burberry, Tag Heuer, Fossil, Seiko, Hugo Boss Swarovski, Movado, Audemars Piguet, Tissot, Cartier and Rolex. They also found ear buds branded as AirPods bearing a suspected Apple trademark.

CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise determined those items were inauthentic, and they were seized.

The parcel also contained “several types of powders and liquids.” Testing indicated they were “various types of different steroid-related Schedule III” substances.

Had the items in the shipment been authentic, they would have had a combined manufacturer’s suggested retail price of over $6.2 million, the agency said.

“Our officers across the nation routinely see these types of shipments and they are illegal,” said Chicago Field Office’s Acting Director of Field Operations Michael Pfeiffer. “In this instance officers not only stopped counterfeit watches that threaten America’s economic vitality and often funds criminal activities, but the officers also identified illicit shipments containing steroids, which are extremely dangerous. This seizure illustrates the work our officers do every day to protect our country, its citizens, and the economy.”