Customs officers in Indianapolis recovered 300 counterfeit Audemars Piguet watches from a shipment on Friday, according to an agency statement released that day. Staff at the city's express freight sorting centre had set the parcel aside on 14 October after it was flagged during routine handling. The package had originated in Hong Kong and was destined for Illinois.
Customs and Border Protection placed the total manufacturer's suggested retail price of the seized goods at $12 million, a figure reflecting what the watches would have fetched had they been authentic. That dollar amount represents what genuine goods would bring at retail, not a valuation of the counterfeit items taken in the seizure.
Timepieces carrying what appeared to be unauthorised Audemars Piguet branding were recovered by officers during the inspection. CBP's Centers of Excellence and Expertise reviewed the goods and concluded they were not genuine, prompting the agency to take possession of the items on the grounds that they bore unauthorised versions of protected trademarks. Michael Pfeiffer, acting field operations director for CBP's Chicago office, noted in a statement that as more consumers turn to online platforms and third-party vendors, agency personnel are positioned at the point where counterfeit merchandise entering commerce can be intercepted before it reaches buyers.
The agency's statement included no names for either the sender or the recipient, identifying only the shipment's point of origin and its destination. No arrests or charges were mentioned.
The Indianapolis seizure fits a wider pattern of counterfeit timepiece interceptions recorded elsewhere in recent months. Two shipments intercepted at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Sept. 18 held a combined 200 counterfeit Cartier watches, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stationed there. Investigators valued the items at $28 million on the assumption that all of them had been authentic.
On July 30, customs officers working the Indianapolis express consignment hub intercepted a parcel containing 96 watches carrying unauthorised reproductions of trademarks belonging to Swatch, Audemars Piguet, and Rolex. Customs and Border Protection put the combined retail value of that Hong Kong-to-Ohio package at more than $4.5 million, a figure that would have applied only if the contents had been genuine.
In a separate enforcement action, inspectors at Washington Dulles International Airport in August pulled roughly 440 pounds of raw cotton from the luggage of a family travelling from Afghanistan. Unprocessed seeds were found mixed into the cotton, and no entry paperwork or treatment certification had been obtained by the group, who had planned to use the material as bedding. According to the agency, unprocessed cotton entering the country can harbour insects and other agricultural pests that put both farming operations and textile manufacturing at risk.
Watches, rings, and other jewellery feature on Customs and Border Protection's list of product categories deemed prone to counterfeiting, alongside handbags, wallets, clothing, footwear, and consumer electronics. The agency states that shoppers are encouraged to go directly to trademark holders or their approved retail partners, and to verify a seller's contact details before completing any online purchase. Suspected counterfeit complaints can be submitted to the agency through its e-Allegations portal.
