Counterfeit luxury designer items seized at LAX with estimated value of more than $1.8 million

LOS ANGELES - Customs inspectors seized counterfeit high fashion products valued at more than $1.8 million at Los Angeles International Airport in a shipment from Hong Kong, including handbags, shoes and watches, authorities said Monday.

The items were seized on June 25 and included counterfeit products of companies such as YSL, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Versace, and Gucci, said Jaime Ruiz of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

In the same shipment, he said CBP officers also discovered and seized 2,160 sildenafil pills, which are used to treat erectile dysfunction, and 4,500 ranitidine hydrochloride pills, commonly used to treat heartburn and stomach ulcers.

The seized items, if genuine, would have had an estimated manufacturer's suggested retail price of more than $1.8 million, Ruiz said.

"Trade in illegitimate goods is associated with smuggling and other criminal activities, and often funds criminal enterprises," said Carlos C. Martel, CBP's Field Operations director in Los Angeles.

"Available on illegitimate websites and sold in underground outlets, counterfeit commodities multiply the illegal profits of smugglers and traffickers," Martel said. "Consumers are tricked into believing they are buying an original product at a significant discount."