The Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex’s multiagency legislation enforcement team has seized more than 3, 000 false Gibson electric guitars as part of the largest fraudulent musical instrument ever found, according to government ‘ announcement on Tuesday.
Because the case is still ongoing, Africa Bell, the harbor director for Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport, said the items, which were likely going to be sold online, were likely going to be destined for e-commerce.
As U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers announced the arrest at a day news conference in Carson, some purple, black, and orange electric guitars sat on holds and furniture.
You may think that the violins you see on display around me and behind me may be true, but you can rest assured that they are not, Bell said. ” They are fraudulent, and they are part of a massive attempt to con the American consumer”.
Bell said while most supplies agree with U. S. export laws, many do not.
Finding the largest and smallest pins and the largest haystacks is like trying to find the United States government’s owed money for illegal items, she said. ” It’s a major task. We stopped the United States from receiving more than$ 2 billion worth of counterfeit goods during the previous fiscal year. This is the highest price ever recorded.
The event is being investigated by the U. S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
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