Shanghai : A recent shipment of auto parts looked luxurious, with gleaming hubcaps, hood ornaments and grille assemblies for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
But the products en route from China to Newark apparently had a flaw. They were fake, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The counterfeit parts would have been worth almost $1.8 million if they were real, the agency said.
Instead, CPB officers seized the sizable shipment on Oct. 17.
Inspectors initially examined the parts on Sept. 6 after they arrived in Philadelphia, the agency said.
It said the shipment was “detained as possible counterfeit” due to concerns over “the quality, origination and destination of the shipment, and the corporate trademark logo.”
