NEW YORK: Thousands of counterfeit Hermes belts — with an estimated retail value of $3.23 million — were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport complex.
“Counterfeit products are increasingly of a higher quality, making consumers easily deceived by fakes that look and feel real, Carlos Martel, CBP port director of the West Coast complex told WWD.
According to the trade publication, there was a total of 3,960 belts, which all had the Hermes brand trademark featured on the packaging boxes, the back of the belts and engraved on the back of the buckle.
For 2014, $1.22 billion dollars of confiscated goods were seized. Most products came to the U.S. from China, Hong Kong, Canada, India and United Arab Emirates.
Back in April, thieves made away with a load of Hermes handbags estimated to be worth more than 1 million euros (about $1.07 million at current exchange) at CAMS, a packaging and logistics facility northwest of Paris.
Six individuals reportedly got the upscale bags by forcing CAMS’ manager of supplier to load about 500 Hermès bags into a truck before fleeing in two separate vehicles. They made away with both leather and canvas bags, which retail between 500 and 5,000 euros each, a police source said.
“The mode of operation suggests they were a well-prepared team,” the source added.
At the time of the CAMS robbery, which occurred in France’s Le Plessis-Bouchard region, the manager was reportedly alone on the facility’s premises.
In Europe, there have been a flood of robberies in recent years. After many situations in London, thieves are now focusing on Paris. Gangs on mopeds have targeted stores including Colette, Audemars Piguet and De Grisogono throughout the past couple of years.
