Counterfeit Industry Tied to Organized Crime, Terrorism

 LOS ANGELES — Fake designer brand purses, clothing and even prescription¹ medications are made and sold around the world.  Investigators say it is bigger business than the illegal drug trade.  And police say that when consumers buy counterfeit³ items, they could be contributing to the funding other crimes.  Many of the counterfeit items from the Pacific Rim⁴ enter the United States through Los Angeles.

Bargain hunters flock to downtown Los Angeles and an area called Santee Alley⁵, where clothing, sunglasses, watches and toys pack tiny stores block after block.  Santee Alley is also known as a haven⁶ for counterfeit goods.

Anita Grey has been shopping at Santee Alley for years.  She says she would never buy fake designer products, but she has seen them.

“I know years ago when I come down, you would see it.  And now, you don’t see it at all," said Grey.

Investigator² Kris Buckner says that is because police have raided stores that carry fake designer goods so many times that people who sell them are more careful.

“They’ll come up and offer you the goods, and then they’ll take you to a warehouse," said Buckner.

For the last 15 years, Buckner has been tracking down people who sell and make counterfeit products.  He says the problem is not limited to downtown Los Angeles.

“You got to look at the global marketplace," he said. "It’s estimated that 10 percent of the goods you’ll see out there are estimated to be counterfeit.”

Buckner says the estimated $500 billion a year counterfeit goods business is bigger than the illegal drug trade, and that it is tied to local streets gangs and international organized crime.

“Then you have groups that have ties to Hezbollah, Muslim Brotherhood⁷ and Hamas that have engaged in this activitt, " he said. "The problem is it’s a perfect opportunity for these guys to make money.”

Buckner says criminal elements often make fake goods in the United States in underground sweatshops.

“They will traffic undocumented folks to the U.S. and force them to work in these situations until they pay their fee to come here to the United States," said Buckner.

Deborah Greaves with the designer brand True Religion Jeans warns against buying fake goods on the Internet.

“One of the biggest threats that people need to be aware of now is that with the online counterfeiting⁸ is that these [groups] not only are selling you a fake product, but they’re also harvesting all of your personal information," said Greaves. "They have your credit card; they have your address.  They have everything they need to steal from you.”

At the Port of Los Angeles, police seize counterfeit purses, clothing, prescription medications, appliances and cigarettes.  Investigators say large amounts of the fake and stolen designer items come from China through ports across the United States, smuggled⁹ inside shipping¹⁰ containers.  Police say that in this port complex alone, more than 14 million containers arrive every year, but they are able to check fewer than 1 percent of those containers.

Deborah Greaves trains law enforcement officers and shows them the differences between a real and fake True Religion Jeans. “The fabrics¹¹ are rougher; the stitching is not as neat," she said.

Besides the difference in quality, some of the counterfeit products are harmful, says Commander Todd Rogers with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“When you have counterfeit cigarettes, you don’t even know what the contents are," said Rogers. "And I understand that feces have been found in some of these cigarettes.”

Police say that to tell the difference between an authentic¹² product and a counterfeit one, look at where the item is sold and whether the price seems too good to be true.  It so, it probably isn't real.

1 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

2 investigator   

n.研究者，调查者，审查者

参考例句：

• He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。
• The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。

3 counterfeit   

vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的

参考例句：

• It is a crime to counterfeit money.伪造货币是犯罪行为。
• The painting looked old but was a recent counterfeit.这幅画看上去年代久远，实际是最近的一幅赝品。

4 rim   

n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界

参考例句：

• The water was even with the rim of the basin.盆里的水与盆边平齐了。
• She looked at him over the rim of her glass.她的目光越过玻璃杯的边沿看着他。

5 alley   

n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路

参考例句：

• We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。
• The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。

6 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

7 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

8 counterfeiting   

n.伪造v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was sent to prison for counterfeiting five-dollar bills. 他因伪造5美元的钞票被捕入狱。 来自辞典例句
• National bureau released securities, certificates with security anti-counterfeiting paper technical standards. 国家质量技术监督局发布了证券、证件用安全性防伪纸张技术标准。 来自互联网

9 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

10 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

11 fabrics   

织物( fabric的名词复数 )； 布； 构造； （建筑物的）结构（如墙、地面、屋顶）：质地

参考例句：

• cotton fabrics and synthetics 棉织物与合成织物
• The fabrics are merchandised through a network of dealers. 通过经销网点销售纺织品。

12 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。