The Department of Homeland Security and the NYPD recently launched the world’s largest raid on counterfeit goods — and experts told The Post that the goods may have come from China.
Fake handbags, shoes and clothing — made to imitate brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Hermès — were seized at the Gotham Mini Storage facility in Manhattan. All told, the estimated 219,000 counterfeit luxury goods would be worth $1 billion if the goods were legitimate.
“It looks like a professional operation,” Dan Harris, a Seattle-based attorney who heads the China Law Blog, told The Post. “There is a 99.5% chance it came from China. They will not make [the seized goods] in such quantities in Vietnam or Cambodia.”
The suspects, Abdulai Jalloh and Adama Sow, were charged separately on charges of distributing counterfeit goods. Jalloh is out on $500,000 bond and wearing an ankle bracelet, while Sow was released on $1 million bond. Their lawyers would not comment further.
A range of handbags, shoes and clothes from the likes of Louis Vuitton and Gucci are found in the storage units, which are lined with shelves and hangers. US Attorney’s Office/Mega
However, they may not be at the top of the food chain. “You really think those two idiots have the capital to get all that stuff?” said Bill Ryan, a former NYPD detective who specializes in busting counterfeiters and now heads the Ryan Investigative Group, which consults with companies to keep them from going out.
“Are they the only ones arrested? Their boss could be a guy from China,” Ryan told The Post. “When it comes to counterfeit goods, all roads lead to China.”
According to DHS, Jalloh and Sow’s illegal sales operation has been going on since January.
In total, about 219,000 pieces of fake luxury goods were seized. US Attorney’s Office/Mega
An HSI spokesperson told The Post that “criminals are increasingly breaking up large shipments into smaller sizes to limit the risk associated with one of their shipments being seized.”
But while fake operators may have figured out a way to protect themselves, it doesn’t save them from the competition.
“Counterfeiting is a very jealous and factional business,” Ryan said. “People criticize their competitors. Generally, [law enforcers] collect cases by people who provide bits of information that you continue to piece together.”
The raid took place at Gotham Mini Storage, an 84,000-square-foot Hell’s Kitchen storage facility with a 20-by-80-foot space (which costs nearly $5,700 a month).
The items were seized from Gotham Mini Storage in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. Google Maps
Equipped with shelves and hangers, Jalloh and Sow storage units resemble bona fide stores.
“The variety is amazing,” Harris said. “They seem to have a better selection than Saks Fifth Avenue.”
Ryan agreed and was not surprised.
He said, storage spaces like this which are spread throughout the country are very suitable for rogue retailers.
Former NYPD detective Bill Ryan says, in his experience, “all roads lead to China” when it comes to counterfeit goods.RyanInvestigators.com
“Criminals get space for cheap and those places have loading docks and hand trucks. They don’t attract attention and the storage space is big enough to fit a car. And you can rent more than one, set each one up for a specific type of item,” explained Ryan. “I’ve seen it [counterfeit retailers] rent eight storage rooms at a time and use different ones for shoes, handbags, coats and shirts. It is not unusual for counterfeiters to ship goods from China directly to storage facilities.”
He was also not surprised by the time of the bust.
“There’s always a big buzz before Thanksgiving, when people start shopping. And another one before Christmas, when they’re done shopping,” added Ryan. “Law enforcement is paying attention to retailers and potential customers.”
Ivan J. Arvel, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York, told The Post: “Even if a wallet looks harmless, the production and sale of counterfeit products is far from a victimless crime … Counterfeit products may cause a variety of problems, including through the use of unapproved dyes, materials that are not fire safe, or that contain heavy metals.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
