Customs officers cracking down on counterfeit goods

Thousands of designer handbags recently arrived at the Port of Seattle, but sharp-eyed customs officers discovered that the beautiful Guccis and Louis Vuittons were fakes, designed to dupe unsuspecting customers.
More than 20 tons of cargo moves through the Port of Seattle each and every day, and some of those goods supply a multi-billion dollar counterfeit industry.
US Customs and Border Protection officers are charged with monitoring the cargo for terrorist threats and counterfeit goods.
Judy Staudt has been with US Customers and Border Protection for more than 14 years, and she's confiscated countless counterfeit products during her tenure.
"Pharmaceuticals, cell phones. You know, anything that's popular. Exercise equipment. Anything that's popular, they're going want to infringe and make money on," Staudt said.
It was just last week that officers stopped a container from China filled with 8,000 fake designer purses.
Staudt said the retail price of the Louis Vuitton and Gucci rip offs is more than $8 million. And while it might seem harmless to buy a $20 designer look-alike, Staudt said the damage could be great.
"But $20 could go to someone," she said. "Someone who, you know, could be a terrorist. It could be drugs."
Officers go through intense training to see if a bag is authentic. The bags that came in last week were good, but closer inspection showed they weren't the real deal.
Examining authenticity is what the ladies at designer consignment store Alexandra's do for a living.
Employee Molly Grundle said it's rare for the company to buy or sell counterfeit goods, but when they do they lose money.
"And it's always tough to have to tell somebody you think their bag is fake, especially if they think it's real," Grundle said.
The fake handbags that arrived last week are being held as evidence, but they'll all eventually be destroyed.