Counterfeit Bag Buyers Held Hostage During Bust

During a police raid on counterfeit purse vendors who operated their business out of vans, one vendor locked his would-be buyers in his van for two hours. He didn't make any demands and the "hostages" were released; police believe he was just scared. The vendor was arrested for trademark counterfeit charges AND unlawful imprisonment; 20 other vendors just face the counterfeiting charges. The commanding officer of the trademark unit told the Post and Daily News vendors set up their vans like storefronts, with benches, shelves and lighting, "I don't think the recession is affecting it at all." According to the NYPD, the fake bags included "a number of Louis Vuitton, Coach, Burberry, Dooney and Bourke, and Dolce & Gabbana counterfeit purses with a street value of approx. $125,000 were recovered," and the city says that besides cheating legitimate business owners, many of these operations are connected with money laundering.

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By Jen Chung in News on March 20, 2009 9:48 AM

Comments [rss]

ttorrison

I would love to arrest all these fake sellers but can the city really afford to put them in jail? Waste of money for this 'victimless' crime. The real victims are the people who work for the legit brands and stores--who pay rent, taxes, employees, etc. These guys selling on the street around Canal Street and other areas are part of a global mafia that is selling counterfeit everything. Airplane parts, your mother's medicine, DVDs, food...they don't care what brand they co-opt. So what to do? I say anyone selling this stuff should get a really big fine. These operations are loaded. The city could raise a lot of money fining these guys. Might make some of these sellers go legit. If they can't pay, then put them in jail.

stereotypical

Or ship their asses back to China, Chad, or Pakistan.

JacqueMehoff

they're not bothering anyone, leave them alone.

the mayor, per usual, is only looking after his fellow richies.

has anyone looked at their 401K statement recently?

was Prada in their mutual fund?

thefacts

#9 got it right.

The other commenters who condone these scumbags and thugs don't have to put up with them day after day in front of their homes/offices. If they did, they wouldn't be so smug.

stereotypical

Why don't they arrest people more often? I work in Tribeca and get off the train on Canal and see this stuff being sold everyday in the wide open. Lots of Vans with tinted windows. Never any cops down here though.

My only guess is that these 'criminals' are bringing in the tourists and therefore the city doesn't care. The poor bastards they just arrested probably didn't pay off the cops or something...

babyhitler

they don't arrest them cause it's moot and pointless. there are so many bag sellers that if you arrest one another pops in it's place a second later. The arrested party basically pays a fine and gets let off. it's more of a civil crime than a criminal one so they don't really spend time in jail. It's not as bad as selling drugs. they want the big bag suppliers not the little dudes. the only way to police it is to actually police it. Uniformed cops walking the beat and surveilling. But that would take too much legwork for the authorities.

Steven

The criminals are the companies who charge outrageous prices for these handbangs, when they are only worth under dollars.

Just because the bag has a small designer label on it let's charge $400. Of course women have to buy it to look "cool" in front of their friends and show off other people..

babyhitler

You know what's connected to money laundering? AIG and the whole banking system. I hate when authorities try to say that shit to defend themselves.

Brooklynbobby

Boogie baggie nights!

slny

I feel much safer now that they caught the handbag dealer.

Now, I can safely buy a bag for $600.

No more $18 Rolex.

People like Bloomburg wouldn't pay for cheap knock-offs anyway. So how does this do us any good?

jeffpolyrhythm

I remember about 2 years ago I was in Chinatown eating some cheap rice and something else from a stand. I was leaning against the wall having a quick eat and this well dressed girl knocked on a van parked behind the stand, and it opened. She came out a few minutes later holding 2 full shopping bags she did not have earlier. I wondered why my total of about 4 items to eat was only about $1.50. Glad to see NY's finest stopped catching purse snatchers only to snatch a few of their own.