A shipment of counterfeit luxury watches and steroids bound for California was intercepted by customs officers at O'Hare International Airport on October 31, with officials saying the genuine versions of the seized items would have sold for more than $6 million at retail prices.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers made the seizure after the shipment arrived from China, according to CBS News, which reported the cargo was ultimately headed for California. Officers reportedly discovered fake watches bearing some of the biggest names in luxury timepieces, including Rolex, Cartier, Audemars Piguet and Tag Heuer, alongside brands like Seiko, Movado, Fossil and Tissot. Knockoff Burberry, Hugo Boss and Swarovski-branded watches were also part of the haul, per the outlet.
The shipment wasn't limited to fake timepieces. Officers also found counterfeit Apple AirPods mixed in with the watches, as well as several types of powders and liquids that tested positive for steroids, the station reported.
A Pattern of Big-Dollar Seizures at O'Hare
This isn't the first time this fall that O'Hare has been the site of a major counterfeit bust. In September, federal officers seized 200 fake luxury watches from two separate shipments at the airport, a haul that would have sold for a combined $28 million at retail prices had the goods been real, according to Shaw Local. That shipment came from Hong Kong and was also headed to California, and all 200 watches displayed the Cartier trademark before CBP's Centers of Excellence and Expertise determined they were fake, the outlet reported.
Shaw Local also noted that CBP has said profits from counterfeit goods often fund organized crime, underscoring why the agency continues to target these shipments at major cargo hubs like O'Hare.
Earlier counterfeit busts at the airport show the scale of the problem isn't new. A May 4 shipment from China, destined for suburban Bensenville, included 243 fake designer watches that would have been worth more than $6.64 million if genuine, according to the Daily Herald. At the time, authorities said counterfeit designer watches seized at O'Hare since that April had a combined estimated value of nearly $16 million, if the items had been real.
What Happens Next
No arrests, charges or legal proceedings tied to the October 31 seizure have been detailed publicly, and officials have not released a breakdown of how many watches or total items were part of this latest shipment. The $6 million figure represents what officials say the genuine items would have fetched at retail, not an actual loss or sale.
