Authorities Seize Over $11 Million Worth of Fake Championship and Team Rings

The rings were replicas from the NFL, MLB, and NBA.

Norris Cole of the New Orleans Pelicans shows off his Championship Ring
Getty

Image via Getty/David Dow/NBAE

Norris Cole of the New Orleans Pelicans shows off his Championship Ring

Over $11 million in counterfeit championship and team rings are now in the hands of authorities as reports claim the United States Customs and Border Protection seized 177 fake pieces

On Tuesday, the Customs and Border Protection announced that they were able to track and intercept a shipment carrying $11.7 million worth of fake team jewelry from China into the United States. Per reports, the bust took place on March 11 and the inventory included merchandise posing to be from official MLB, NBA, and NFL teams. Along with replicas of the standard team rings, it is said officials also confiscated imitations of the Philadelphia Eagles' and New England Patriots' Super Bowl rings as well as the New York Yankees' World Series rings.

$12 MILLION In Bogus Super Bowl, World Series Rings Seized In Customs Busthttps://t.co/e0iQMbtoSt

In a report published by the Associated Press, the purchasing of counterfeit merchandise can cost the American economy up to $600 billion a year. Agencies are trying to restrict this lucrative trade by reinventing the way they receive and process information. It is likely that these new methods aided in the capture of the fake rings which the CBP says is the latest installment in their fight against fake goods. 

"This most recent interception of counterfeit sports rings demonstrates the ongoing vigilance and commitment to the mission by our CBP Officers and Import Specialists," authorities said in a statement to TMZ. 

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