美國繳獲價值近5億美元奢侈品假貨，32名華裔被捕

The federal government said it had seized enough counterfeit Gucci bags, Hermes belts and Tory Burch purses to fill 22 shipping containers, in a six-year investigation into the importation and sale of fake luxury goods that ended on Thursday with charges filed against 33 people. The individuals were charged with conspiracy, trafficking in counterfeit goods and trademark counterfeiting.

美國聯(lián)邦政府表示，在對假冒奢侈品的進口和銷售展開的為期六年的調(diào)查中，政府繳獲了22個集裝箱的假冒古馳(Gucci)手袋、愛馬仕(Hermes)皮帶，以及托利·伯奇(Tory Burch)手袋。調(diào)查工作已于上周四結束，調(diào)查的結果導致對33人提起訴訟，這些人被指控合謀、販賣假冒商品和偽造商標。

The goods were part of a scheme originating in China that stretched to warehouses in Queens and even to retailers in Illinois and California, officials from Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of the United States Customs and Immigration Enforcement agency, announced at a news conference in New York on Thursday.

上周四，美國移民與海關執(zhí)法局(United States Customs and Immigration Enforcement，簡稱ICE)下屬的國土安全調(diào)查處(Homeland Security Investigations)官員在紐約的一個新聞發(fā)布會上宣布，這些假貨屬于一個預謀計劃，它源自中國，遠及皇后區(qū)的倉庫甚至伊利諾伊州和加利福尼亞州的零售商。

“This is the largest investigation that our agency has had regarding the amount of counterfeit items,” Angel M. Melendez, New York’s special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New York, said in an interview.

“從假貨的數(shù)量來看，這是我局進行的規(guī)模最大的一次調(diào)查，”ICE特工、國土安全調(diào)查處紐約負責人安吉爾·M·梅倫德茲(Angel M. Melendez)在接受采訪時說。

The goods seized were knockoffs of popular brands, including Gucci, Tory Burch, Hermes, Coach, Burberry, Michael Kors and Louis Vuitton. There was knockoff Chanel perfume, too, which concerned investigators since previous schemes had involved using animal urine instead of the perfume company’s formula.

被查封的商品都是流行品牌的冒牌貨，包括古馳、托利·伯奇、愛馬仕、蔻馳(Coach)、博柏利(Burberry)、邁克爾·科爾斯(Michael Kors)，以及路易威登(Louis Vuitton)。此外還有香奈兒(Chanel)香水的仿制品，這令調(diào)查人員不安，因為在以前的類似案件中，仿制品使用了動物尿液，而不是公司的配方。

Authorities estimated that the loss in retail value to the United States was nearly a half-billion dollars. In 2012, federal authorities in Newark, N.J., charged 29 people with trying to smuggle $325 million worth of fake goods into the country.

當局估計，美國的零售價值因這些假貨遭受了將近5億美元的損失。2012年，新澤西州紐瓦克的聯(lián)邦官員曾對29人提起訴訟，他們被指控試圖將價值3.25億美元的假貨走私到美國。

Mr. Melendez said at the news conference that 32 of the men and women had been arrested. All of them are of Chinese heritage. One was living in the country illegally.

梅倫德茲在新聞發(fā)布會上說，已逮捕了32名男子和女子。他們都是華裔，其中一人在美國屬于非法居住。

Mr. Melendez said the federal government had attacked the supply chain rather than going after individuals who sell counterfeit goods on the streets.

梅倫德茲說，聯(lián)邦政府這次打擊的是供應鏈，而不是那些在街頭銷售假冒商品的個人。

The investigation began in 2012, when Customs and Border Protection agents at the Port of Newark noticed anomalies in a shipping manifest; upon opening a 40-foot cargo container, the agents inspected the goods and realized they were counterfeit, said Leon Hayward, the assistant director of trade and cargo security for the border agency.

這項調(diào)查始于2012年，當時，紐瓦克港口的海關和邊境保護局(Customs and Border Protection)工作人員在一份艙單上發(fā)現(xiàn)了異常，該部門負責貿(mào)易和貨物安全的助理主任萊昂·海沃德(Leon Hayward)說，在打開了一個40尺貨柜后，工作人員對貨物進行了檢查，發(fā)現(xiàn)它們是假貨。

Mr. Melendez said that the fraud scheme had two parts. In one, counterfeit goods were made in China and then shipped to the United States through as many as eight legitimate shipping companies.

梅倫德茲說，這個欺詐預謀計劃由兩部分組成。一是在中國制造假冒商品，然后通過多達八家合法航運公司運往美國。

The importers represented themselves as employees of legitimate importing companies with email addresses and phone numbers. The goods were trucked to warehouses in Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island, and then wholesale distributors sold the goods to other distributors.

這些進口商自稱是有電子郵件地址和電話號碼的合法進口公司的雇員。這些貨物用卡車運到皇后區(qū)、布魯克林和長島的倉庫后，經(jīng)批發(fā)商賣給其他分銷商。

In the other part of the scheme, he said, defendants traveled to China to purchase generic items, which could be exported legally. A separate factory then produced knockoff logos, which were smuggled into the United States and affixed to the goods.

梅倫德茲說，計劃的另一個部分是，被告人去中國購買可以合法出口的無商標產(chǎn)品。然后在另一家工廠生產(chǎn)假冒商標，這些商標被走私到美國后貼在商品上。

Three retail businesses in Queens and two in Manhattan were part of the scheme, Mr. Melendez said, adding that they had closed. But an employee at one of the businesses identified by authorities, Proya Fashion, in the Manhattan garment district, said it was still operating, and insisted that no one was arrested. The employee hung up before giving her name.

梅倫德茲說，皇后區(qū)的三家零售店和曼哈頓的兩家零售店都參與了這個預謀計劃，并補充說這幾家零售店都已關門。但記者聯(lián)系到被政府確認為參與者的位于曼哈頓服裝區(qū)的一家名為Proya Fashion的公司時，該公司的一名員工說，公司仍在經(jīng)營，并堅稱沒有人被逮捕。這名女性員工沒說自己的名字就掛斷了電話。

None of the other businesses could be reached for comment.

記者無法聯(lián)系到其他公司置評。

Twenty of the containers came in through the Port of New York and New Jersey, and two through the Port of Los Angeles, Mr. Melendez said.

梅倫德茲說，有20個集裝箱是通過紐約和新澤西的港口進入美國的，另外兩個集裝箱是通過洛杉磯的港口進來的。

As part of the indictment, authorities for the agency, known as ICE, said they also seized personal property belonging to the defendants in the New York metropolitan area worth a total of $12 million.

ICE官員在起訴書中說，他們還沒收了居住在紐約大都會地區(qū)的被告人的個人財產(chǎn)，總價值達1200萬美元。

ICE is better known for its operations in domestic immigration enforcement, which have led some Democratic candidates around the country to call for the agency to be abolished. Some officials within Homeland Security Investigations, which conducts investigations of crimes like counterfeit goods, money laundering, drug trafficking, human smuggling, child exploitation and cybercrimes, have sought to distance themselves from immigration enforcement.

ICE在美國國內(nèi)的移民執(zhí)法行動更廣為人知，這導致美國各地的一些民主黨候選人呼吁廢除該機構。ICE下屬的國土安全調(diào)查處負責調(diào)查假冒商品、洗錢、販毒、人口販運、兒童剝削和網(wǎng)絡犯罪等非法行為，這個部門的一些官員試圖拉開他們與移民執(zhí)法的距離。

In June, 19 investigators sent a letter to Kirstjen Nielsen, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, requesting a stand-alone agency.

今年6月，19名調(diào)查員致函美國國土安全部(Department of Homeland Security)部長克爾斯蒂恩·尼爾森(Kirstjen Nielsen)，要求設立一個獨立機構。

Ronald D. Vitiello, the deputy director of ICE, who had come to New York for the announcement of the investigation, said that the agency’s two arms should remain together. “I think the work that both big halves of the organization do are mutually dependent,” he said. “Part of my vision going forward is to make sure each of us understands that.”

負責此次調(diào)查的ICE副局長羅納德·D·維蒂洛(Ronald D. Vitiello)在宣布調(diào)查結果時來了紐約，他說，這兩個部門不應該分開。“我認為，執(zhí)法局的兩大部門所做的工作是相互依賴的，”他說。“我今后工作的一部分就是要確保我們每個人都懂得這一點。”