Los Angeles: US customs officers have intercepted more than 3,000 fake Gibson electric guitars, the largest counterfeit musical instrument seizure on record, the US Customs and Border Protection revealed.
Founded in 1902 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the iconic US guitar brand has produced all its instruments exclusively at US facilities. A new, authentic Gibson guitar typically costs between 500 U.S. dollars to 2,000 dollars, while some models would retail for more than 10,000 dollars.
According to customs officers assigned to the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport, the counterfeit guitars, all destined for the e-commerce market, would have been worth an estimated 18 million dollars if genuine.
They noted that knockoff products often use low-quality or toxic materials that can pose health risks, as well as substandard electrical components that increase the risk of fires.
The seizure was an important reminder for consumers about the risks of buying fraudulent products online or from questionable sources in which authenticity cannot be verified, they said, Xinhua news agency reported.
“They are fraudulent, and they are part of a massive attempt to con the American consumer,” said Port Director Africa Bell.
Over the past fiscal year, more than 2 billion dollars of counterfeit products had been seized at the Southern California port, Bell said.
The Port of Los Angeles is the busiest container port in the United States, with cargo valued at 292 billion dollars passing through in 2023, according to data released by the port.
–IANS