LOS ANGELES, CA. (THECOUNT) — Looking for a pair of the discontinued and now extremely rare and highly coveted, NIKE off-white x Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG UNC? Well you’re in luck – as your chances of getting a real pair – just got 15,000 time better.
Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted almost 15,000 pairs of counterfeit NIKE shoes at the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach.
|
Advertisement |
The kicks are illegal fakes of special edition and retro Air Jordan designs by Nike.
“Counterfeit brand-name shoes is a multi-million dollar criminal industry,” CBP Port Director LaFonda Sutton-Burke said. “The trafficking of these items is extremely lucrative and becomes more profitable in markets involving successful and popular products.”
Authorities found them in two containers labeled “napkins” on a ship from China, reports KOLD.
The real shoes can fetch up to $2,000 to $22,000 online by collectors and sports shoe enthusiasts.
ARE THOSE NIKE's FAKE? – YES! – Nearly 15,000 pairs of counterfeit "limited edition" Nike shoes seized by @CBPLosAngeles – The estimated MSRP value is over $2.2 Million. See the full story: https://t.co/Hv7kHgALgY pic.twitter.com/5qaUYrj1x2
— CBP Los Angeles (@CBPLosAngeles) October 9, 2019
The street value of the cargo is estimated at more than $2.2 million.
Officials warn people who buy specialty sneakers online are likely to encounter phonies at some point.
Geo quick facts: Los Angeles is a sprawling Southern California city and the center of the nation’s film and television industry. Near its iconic Hollywood sign, studios such as Paramount Pictures, Universal and Warner Brothers offer behind-the-scenes tours. On Hollywood Boulevard, TCL Chinese Theatre displays celebrities’ hand- and footprints, the Walk of Fame honors thousands of luminaries and vendors sell maps to stars’ homes – wikipedia.