While 3,000 guitars gently weep
3,000 counterfeit Gibson guitars were recently seized at the US border while being smuggled into the country via ocean containers from Asia. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price would have amounted to USD 18,742,820, if the instruments had been genuine.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collaborated with special agents of HIS (Homeland Security Investigations) as well as the Los Angeles County sheriff’s department to intercept the shipment, after which Gibson confirmed them to be fake. The guitar manufacturer is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year and noted that its guitars are made only in the USA.
With the holiday season coming up, CBP warns consumers to pay attention to where they are buying goods and at what price these are sold to avoid purchasing fraudulent items. (mk)