Feds Seize $21 Million in Fake Drugs and Goods

Federal agents recently seized more than $21 million in counterfeit drugs and other phony items at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

The 10-day operation, dubbed Operation Safe Summer, ran from September 7 to September 17 and saw a wide range of counterfeit products be seized, according to The Cincinnati Equirer. The operation was part of a nationwide effort by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to crack down on the amount of fake items in the country.

“Pretty much anything that can be counterfeited, we came across,” Brian Bell, spokesman for Customs and Border Protection, told the news source.

Bell added that most counterfeit merchandise ends up being sold at flea markets, small corner stores and on eBay.

Most of the counterfeit goods were taken as they passed the DHL hub at the airport.

Counterfeit drugs pose serious risks to consumers as they are often treated with chemicals that are toxic.

Last year federal agents seized more than 15,000 shipments of counterfeit goods in the U.S., with a total value of more than $260 million. The value of seizures dropped for the first time in 2009 – down from $272 million in 2008 – but federal officials say that may be because the global economic downturn reduced all imports by 25 percent. Until last year, intellectual property seizures increased steadily from about $93 million in 2005, according to The Enquirer.