LOS ANGELES (CNN/Gray News) – Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted almost 15,000 pairs of counterfeit shoes at the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach.
The kicks are illegal fakes of special edition and retro Air Jordan designs by Nike.
“Counterfeit brand-name shoes is a multi-million dollar criminal industry,” CBP Port Director LaFonda Sutton-Burke said. “The trafficking of these items is extremely lucrative and becomes more profitable in markets involving successful and popular products.”
Authorities found them in two containers labeled “napkins" on a ship from China.
The real shoes are highly coveted by collectors and sports shoe enthusiasts. They can fetch up to $2,000 online.
The street value of the cargo is estimated at more than $2.2 million.
Officials warn people who buy specialty sneakers online are likely to encounter phonies at some point.
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