Loads of fake NFL gear seized

Thousands of counterfeit National Football League jerseys, caps and other souvenirs have been seized by U.S. agents in Jacksonville as part of a crackdown on the sale of unlicensed merchandise that has flooded into that area.

U.S. Customs agents and local authorities have confiscated more than 20,000 items in 32 raids during the past year. The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement office says the raids represent an unprecedented attempt to stop crime rings from selling knockoff souvenirs that are not licensed by the NFL.

The fake items typically are sold from the trunks of cars, the backs of vans and souvenir stands for cut-rate prices. NFL-licensed jerseys cost about $65 to more than $200; counterfeit jerseys usually are less than $30.

As Sunday's game approaches, "we expect more vendors to appear," says John Chakwin, assistant special agent in charge of the Jacksonville office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

He says seizures of counterfeit items on Jacksonville-area streets have led agents to warehouses filled with various goods, including fake Gucci purses, Harley-Davidson products and items with NASCAR logos. In one raid, agents seized 2,400 fake jerseys of NFL teams.

Agents have arrested three people, including an illegal immigrant from Pakistan who pleaded guilty to counterfeiting and was deported.

Chakwin says Customs agents hope to trace the seized goods to international crime syndicates believed to be involved in smuggling people and drugs into the USA.

"It's a homeland security issue," says Marcy Forman, investigations director for ICE. "Smugglers use the same routes and mechanisms. One day it's goods, the next day it's people or drugs."

Several crime rings sell counterfeit goods to fund other operations, Forman says. Many of the fake items come from China, she says.

The federal agents are working with the Jacksonville sheriff's office and private investigators hired by the NFL, who have helped agents identify vendors who show up at games with unlicensed merchandise.

"This is a particularly intense effort," ICE spokesman Marc Raimondi says.

He says the quantity of seized goods is staggering. "We have hundreds of cases of seized stuff — NFL cell phone covers, T-shirts, jerseys from just about every team."

The NFL expects to sell more than $100 million in licensed Super Bowl merchandise, league spokesman Brian McCarthy says.

The NFL and the ICE say fans should scrutinize the quality and price of souvenirs they consider buying. NFL merchandise has a 1-inch, rectangular hologram with a Super Bowl logo. In one instance, agents seized jerseys that appeared authentic — except the logo said "NBA" instead of "NFL," Chakwin says.

"If the price is too good to be true," he says, "it's probably counterfeit."