U.S. Customs and Border Protection have muted a ring that was reportedly dealing in counterfeit guitars.
On Dec. 15, 36 different shipments arrived at Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., customs officials said in a news release.
They were being shipped to 21 states and Australia.
Officials thought the guitars were fakes labeled as brands like Fender and Gibson. They also had a signature of what appeared to be a famous musician.
One of the guitars was allegedly signed by Guns ‘N’ Roses guitarist Slash. Another was said to be Jimmy Paige’s Gibson Double Neck guitar.
The most valuable would have been a Gibson Ace Frehley guitar that had a $9,000 price tag, according to customs officials.
If they were real, the value of the instruments would have been $158,692.
Customs officials worked with the trademark holders to confirm that the guitars were counterfeit.
Not only does paying a premium price for a counterfeit item take money out of the pockets of fans, but the fake items also “result in job loss, steal tax revenues from our nation’s economy, and are often constructed in unregulated facilities with potentially harmful materials that could threaten consumers’ health,” Customs officials said.
They said only buy from reputable vendors.
Cox Media Group
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