Federal authorities in Miami seized an estimated $123 million worth of counterfeit sports merchandise for teams playing in Super Bowl LIV, according to media reports.
According to a statement released by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), officials found more than 176,000 counterfeit sports-related items.
Agents with the Customs and Border Protection, along with ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations and Miami-Dade police officers, seized the counterfeit items from flea markets, retail outlets and street vendors during the past week as part of the effort, according to the organization. Included were fake jerseys, hats, jewelry, cell phone accessories and other items.
Some of the items had Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers logos; both teams played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Feb 2.
“Operation Team Player remains one of the most important national initiatives for protecting sports fans from the sale of counterfeit products and counterfeit tickets,” says Dolores DiBella, the NFL’s vice president of legal affairs.
This year’s operation is a 400% increase from last year, which resulted in $24.2 million worth of counterfeit sports goods recovered, according to the ICE statement. — D.S.
