Customs officials seize dozens of fake luxury watches at LAX that would have sold for up to $1.3M

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Customs officials seized dozens fake luxury watches that are estimated to have sold for $1.29 million if posed as real on the open market.

Officers say they seized a total of 41 watches in a five-week period from April to May.

The watches arrived in individual packages in air cargo from China and were headed to multiple cities across the United States.

In an attempt to evade detection from Customs officials, the packages were labeled with false monikers such as "bracelet" and "decoration."

Counterfeit watches are often made with cheap metals that could cause skin reactions and will likely break quickly, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol press release. Buying counterfeit goods on illegitimate websites can also pose a risk to consumers by exposing them to malware or ransomware and even compromising personal and financial information.

"The bottom line is that importing, selling and buying counterfeit goods is illegal," said Cheryl Davies, CBP Port Director of the Los Angeles International Airport. "While it may seem innocent, the money you spend on counterfeit products often funds criminal activity, from forced labor, human and drug trafficking, to violent crime."