Nearly 15,000 pairs of fake Nike shoes, which would be valued at $2.2 million-plus if authentic, were confiscated in the Port of Los Angeles by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, the agency said on Wednesday.

The counterfeit shoes were discovered in two separate containers on the same ship coming from China in May, said officials, who just released the information. The contents had been declared as napkins.

The seizure – a lengthy process because of back-and-forth between Nike, the authorities and the importer – was completed last month, said Jaime Ruiz, an agency spokesman.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 14,806 pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes, the agency announced Wednesday, Oct. 8. The shoes were discovered in May, on a shipment from China. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 14,806 pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes, the agency announced Wednesday, Oct. 8. The shoes were discovered in May, on a shipment from China. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 14,806 pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes, the agency announced Wednesday, Oct. 8. The shoes were discovered in May, on a shipment from China. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 14,806 pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes, the agency announced Wednesday, Oct. 8. The shoes were discovered in May, on a shipment from China. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection)



U.S. Customs officials, Ruiz said, had been tipped off by Homeland Security Investigations. No arrests had been made yet, with the case still open.

“It’s definitely a significant loss of money,” Ruiz said in regard to the crooks. “But we’ll keep tracking and monitoring the activity of the folks involved.”

There are a lot of counterfeit products in the market, Ruiz said, especially online.

“We need to remember that counterfeit products are made in inhumane and unsanitary conditions,” Ruiz said. “Sometimes, child labor is involved. Anytime someone buys a counterfeit, they’re supporting criminals, because the money all goes to criminals all over the world.”

The confiscated shoes included varieties of Nike’s Air Jordan shoes and Air Max ’97.

Some of the seized shoes were fakes of special-edition Nike and retro designs that if real sell online for up to $2,000 a pair.

About 99% of the time, seized counterfeit products are destroyed by officials, Ruiz said. But if a nonprofit asks for the products to be donated, the agency will donate them if the trademark owner – in this case Nike – approves of the transaction.