LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Gray News) – Border officials seized an expensive collection of unusual – and musical – counterfeit instruments that tried to be smuggled into the country.
In a release, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Los Angeles said more than 3,000 counterfeit Gibson guitars were seized. The total value of the seizure would have been $18,742,840 had the guitars been authentic.
CBP officers worked with Homeland Security Investigations and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to intercept the suspects’ cargo, which arrived in ocean containers from Asia.
The guitars were then investigated and evaluated by officials and representatives for Gibson, who determined the guitars were not genuine. They also noted that Gibson guitars are only made in the U.S.
“These fraudulent guitars may look and feel legitimate for unsuspecting consumers buying them from third-party online sources, street markets, unauthorized retailers, and person-to-person transactions,” Cheryl M. Davies, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles, said. “As we approach the busy Holiday shopping season, consumers should pay attention to where they are buying these goods and how much they are paying, and if is too good to be true it probably is.”
Gibson said it is grateful for the efforts of the CBP and Los Angeles agencies in intercepting the guitars, suggesting that buying directly from the source is the best way to make sure to buy an authentic product.
The iconic instrument brand has been committed to producing the best instruments for more than 130 years. It said all of its instruments are handcrafted in the U.S. in cities like Nashville, Tennessee and Bozeman, Montana.
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