WKBT La Crosse, WI-NewsChannel 8-Feds in Minn. seize over $600,000 in fake goods
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Associated Press - November 25, 2009 1:04 PM ET
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement seized over 17,000 counterfeit items from Twin Cities-area businesses last week, with an estimated street value of $643,000.
The seizure was announced Wednesday. Claude Arnold, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Bloomington, says it's the largest one his office has done in the three years he's been here.
He says the investigation is ongoing.
The seized items include counterfeit perfume, clothing, purses, batteries, jewelry, shoes and many other products. They bear brand names like Gucci, Coach and Tiffany. They were taken from 21 Twin Cities-area businesses.
Counterfeiting and piracy costs the U.S. economy between $200 billion and $250 billion per year, and more than 750,000 American jobs.
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