Australian Border Force officers have seized 129 fake bags and purses which a 31-year-old woman was attempting to bring into the country through Perth Airport.
The items — mostly Mimco and Louis Vuitton copies — were found during a baggage examination carried out when the Tasmanian woman returned to Australian from Bali on March 6.
Handbags are among the most commonly seized counterfeit and pirated goods at the border, along with mobile phones and accessories, car parts, watches and toys.
ABF Assistant Secretary for Customs Matthew Duckworth said consumers of counterfeit or pirated goods were paying a premium for inferior products.
He warned people shopping online to be diligent when purchasing these items.
“Consumers can do their part to help combat counterfeiting by not purchasing from unofficial sites or sources and by taking care not to bring pirated goods back into Australia when returning from overseas,” Mr Duckworth said.
“Think about what you are really buying. Counterfeit and pirated goods not only rob legitimate businesses of income, they threaten the livelihoods of Australian workers, and, in some cases, pose real health and safety risks.”
The ABF enforces intellectual property rights through Australia’s Notice of Objection Scheme, which allows officers to seize importations of counterfeit and pirated goods at the border.
Mr Duckworth said its enforcement was a leading operational priority for the ABF.
“The ABF takes seriously the importation of counterfeit and pirated goods,” he said. “Our customs compliance officers are dedicated to identifying breaches of intellectual property rights at the border.”
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Source:TheWest