U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released a Wednesday press release detailing its efforts to curb smuggling through the port in Cincinnati, which it says ranked fifth in the nation for smuggling busts in fiscal year 2021.
“From October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021, Cincinnati seized 6,738 shipments, ranking the port in fifth-place for seizures among all 328 CBP ports of entry nationwide,” the release said. “Additionally, Cincinnati agriculture specialists issued 7,240 Emergency Action Notifications (EANs), the highest number of agriculture seizures ever recorded at the port.”
The United States has a total of 328 ports.
The agency said it seized 2,111 shipments of “counterfeit documents, currency, and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) violations, with a total estimated Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of more than $149 million.”
Fraudulent goods like jewelry, at a total MSRP of $58.5 million, watches at a total MSRP of $46.2 million, and electronics at a total MSRP of $27.7 million topped the categories of fakes seized. CBP says these busts saved the taxpayer $49 million.
On shipment of fake Rolex watches from China alone was worth $5.8 million, according to the release.
Almost 700 shipments containing a total of 22,989 fake identification documents were also seized.
In September alone, CBP intercepted thousands of fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards, also shipped from China. It also seized more than $2 million worth of cocaine disguised as Frosted Flakes cereal.
Overall, 1,541 shipments containing 12,540 pounds of illicit drugs were confiscated last year, according to the release.
“The men and women at the Port of Cincinnati are committed to protecting America’s border while enabling legitimate trade and travel,” Cincinnati Port Director Richard Gillespie said in the release. “We will continue to anticipate, identify, and address all risks and benefits that come with the accelerated pace international trade has experienced over the past few years. I am very proud of my team. Their dedication to the CBP mission is second to none.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
