Fake cigarettes worth $404,842 seized in US

Washington, Aug 22 (IANS) US customs officers have seized 2,250 cartons of counterfeit Camel cigarettes at Washington Dulles International Airport after becoming suspicious of their unusual markings and circuitous journey from Singapore to Miami.

The shipment, valued at $404,842 if the cigarettes had been genuine, arrived at the airport on July 11 aboard a flight from Singapore that travelled through Japan, US Customs and Border Protection said.

It was destined for an address in Miami.

Customs officers inspected 45 boxes labelled “Camel Yellow Cigarettes”. Each box contained 50 cartons bearing the Camel name, bringing the total to 2,250 cartons.

Officers detained the shipment for further examination after noticing an unusual logo design, questionable markings and what the agency described as an odd shipping route.

Trade specialists from the agency’s Agriculture and Prepared Products Center of Excellence and Expertise subsequently contacted the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company to authenticate the products. The company, which manufactures Camel cigarettes in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, determined that they were counterfeit.

The shipment was formally seized on August 14, it said.

“Counterfeit cigarettes deprive the United States of tax revenue and pose a serious health concern to smokers who have no idea what, if any, dangerous chemicals they are actually inhaling with the tobacco,” said Christine Waugh, the agency’s area port director for Washington.

“Intercepting counterfeit products is a Customs and Border Protection trade enforcement priority and one way in which we can help keep consumers safe.”

Counterfeit tobacco products can avoid federal, state and local taxes while exposing purchasers to potentially unregulated ingredients. Their packaging may imitate legitimate brands even though their manufacture and contents have not been verified.

Customs authorities said the trade in counterfeit merchandise can damage businesses, deprive trademark owners and governments of revenue and pose health and safety risks to consumers. Proceeds from such goods may also benefit transnational criminal organisations, according to the agency.

During the 2025 financial year, customs officers and Homeland Security Investigations agents seized nearly 78.4 million shipments involving intellectual property rights violations, the agency said.

Those shipments contained approximately 25 million counterfeit products. Had the goods been genuine, their combined estimated retail value would have exceeded $7.4 billion — an average of more than $20 million a day.

–IANS

lkj/rs