LONG BEACH, Calif. -- More than $2.2 million worth of fake Nike shoes have been seized at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport, authorities announced Wednesday.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security, and trade investigators discovered the more than 14,000 pairs of shoes while searching a shipment arriving from China.
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The shoes were found inside two containers that investigators said had been misdeclared as "napkins."
"Intellectual property theft is a crime that leads to lost revenue for American industry, a loss of American jobs, and often poses a threat to public health and safety,'' said Carlos C. Martel, Customs and Border Protection's director of field operations in Los Angeles.
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There were 14,806 pairs of counterfeit special-edition Nike Air Jordans and Air Max 97s -- designs that are highly coveted by collectors.
If genuine, the confiscated shoes would have an estimated manufacturer's suggested retail price of $2,247,680, officials said.
A legitimate pair can potentially sell for $1,500-$2,000 online, officials said.