$650k in fake Apple products seized at LA seaport

Customs at Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport seized 16,620 counterfeit wireless earphones and charging cables arriving from China in July that violated Apple’s trademarks.

A pair of seizures included 2,400 pairs of counterfeit AirPods earphones and 14,220 Lightning cables, according to Jaime Ruiz of US Customs and Border Protection. If genuine, the seized merchandise would have had an estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price of just over $650,000.

CBP officers discovered the counterfeit products while conducting an enforcement exam on two shipments containing a total of 185 boxes that arrived from China on July 2 and July 15.

“Counterfeit electrical goods are not put through the same vigorous safety checks as legitimate items and are often very dangerous,” said Donald Kusser, CBP Area Port Director of the LA/Long Beach seaport.

“Consumers need to be extremely cautious when they buy electronics from non-legitimate sources.”