US Customs Confiscates ‘Smorgasbord’ of Fake Jewelry

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confiscated a shipment containing 875 pieces of counterfeit jewelry with a retail price value over $3.7 million – had the items been genuine.

The parcel from Hong Kong was bound for a residence in Georgia, when the Indianapolis officers selected the package for inspection, CBP said Tuesday. The shipment contained earrings, bracelets and necklaces, as well as five allegedly designer handbags.

The pieces carried well-known trademark names such as Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Van Cleef & Arpels. However, after one of CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise inspected them further, the agency’s trade experts determined that the pieces were fakes.

“CBP has an exceptional team of officers and import specialists who are experts in identifying counterfeit goods and work closely with private industry to thwart intellectual property infringement,” said Indianapolis port director Brett Mueller. “CBP remains committed to stopping counterfeit smuggling, taking profits from organized crime, and protecting communities from potentially hazardous knockoffs.”

Last year CBP also seized packages from China and Hong Kong containing counterfeit jewelry worth millions of dollars. 

CBP data shows that handbags, watches, jewelry, apparel and electronics are among the top products being counterfeited. In 2025, the agency nabbed close to 79 million copied items with a total value of over $7.3 billion, if they had been original designs.

Main image: US Customs and Border Protection division in Indianapolis. (Shutterstock)