Jamaica Customs is reporting that it confiscated more than $250 million worth of counterfeit goods at the island’s ports of entry from January last year to April this year.
Major Richard Reese, Commissioner of Customs, says the items include more than 20,000 pairs of footwear, valued at $80 million, 1,920 bottles of perfume, worth nearly $4 million, and four million sticks of cigarette, valued at $120 million.
The other confiscated items include handbags, clothing, belts, hats, disposable razors, and pharmaceuticals.
Some of the products were intended for the local market, while others were destined for other countries.
Major Reese made the disclosure at the opening ceremony for Jamaica Customs' five-day intellectual property rights training seminar for 28 customs officers.
Intercepted
Kalista Powell, Director in the agency's Border Protection Unit, also revealed that containers with the counterfeit products were intercepted, following intelligence and joint inter-agency operations.
These involved local and overseas law enforcement entities, she said.
Ms. Powell said a significant portion of the items, which were forfeited by the owners, were destroyed in April, while investigations are underway in relation to the others.
Persons have been charged and court proceedings are ongoing.
Under Jamaican laws, the penalties for counterfeiting products, whether for manufacturing or trade, include forfeiture of goods, fines, or imprisonment.
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