L.A. Police Seize Counterfeit Apparel
Dealers of counterfeit merchandise have been altering their methods of operation to thwart law enforcement authorities. So far, it has not worked so well.
On April 24, the LAPD released details of the raid, which took place in early April at 1024 S. Santee St. and 300 E. Olympic Blvd.
During an April 9 raid in the Los Angeles Fashion District, the Cargo Hijack Unit of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Commercial Crimes Division, while working in partnership with private company Intellectual Property Enforcement Co., recovered more than 22,000 garments, pieces of jewelry, CDs and DVDs valued at more than $10.5 million from two locations on Santee Street and Olympic Boulevard.
Instead of staging their counterfeit operations at storefronts within the popular Santee Alley thoroughfare, some of these merchants have been resorting to showrooms and storage space to show their illegal wares in order to control who comes through the door.
At least in this case, police were not fooled. They arrested three suspects and said they anticipate more arrests as the investigation continues.
From the eighth floor of the Santee location, investigators seized 9,627 counterfeit items with an estimated mid-market value (in between wholesale and retail) of $2,035,090. Along with additional items, they also seized 11,587 counterfeit items with an estimated mid-market value of $6,885,510 from the second floor of the Olympic Avenue address.
Counterfeit brands recovered included Abercrombie & Fitch, Armani, Audemars Piguet, Bebe, Bvlgari, Cartier, Coach, Chanel, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Fendi, Ferrari, Louis Vuitton, Lacoste, Mont Blanc, Movado, Omega, Nike, Piaget, Prada, Ray-Ban, Cavali, Rolex, Tiffany & Co., Tous, True Religion, Versace, Vacheron and Constantin. To date, no one has stepped forward to claim any of the seized property.
Kent Smith, executive director of the Los Angeles Fashion District, said the practice of selling counterfeits on vacant floors of buildings is more commonly practiced in New York. “As the pressure mounts, the criminals are going to look for other ways to conduct their illegal businesses. [Raids] like this are never positive. The hope is that they are done in a sensitive manner in a way to not disrupt business,” Smith said.
Anyone who has information regarding this case is asked to contact the LAPD’s Cargo Hijack Unit at (213) 485-2507. —Robert McAllister
