US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Gibson have announced the seizure of over 3,000 counterfeit electric guitars.
The successful operation was announced to the public on Friday, November 22nd, and involved cooperation between CBP, Gibson, US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD).
A press release regarding the incident claims that it’s the “largest seizure of fake musical instruments” on record, with the guitars’ estimated value exceeding $18 million if they were authentic.
A press conference will be held on Tuesday, November 26th to disclose more details, including what “proactive efforts” the agencies use to “identify, intercept, and seize” counterfeit products at the Port of Los Angeles. Additionally, Gibson and the agencies will “caution consumers about fraudulent products sold on e-commerce platforms and other sources.”
Meanwhile, Gibson has had a busy year — since January, they have announced partnerships with Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, Jimmy Page, Slash, Jeff Beck to produce authentic musical instruments.