美国缴获价值近5亿美元奢侈品假货，32名华裔被捕
美国联邦政府表示，在对假冒奢侈品的进口和销售展开的为期六年的调查中，政府缴获了22个集装箱的假冒古驰(Gucci)手袋、爱马仕(Hermes)皮带，以及托利·伯奇(Tory Burch)手袋。调查工作已于上周四结束，调查的结果导致对33人提起诉讼，这些人被指控合谋、贩卖假冒商品和伪造商标。
The goods were part of a scheme originating in China that stretched to warehouses in Queens and even to retailers in Illinois and California, officials from Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of the United States Customs and Immigration Enforcement agency, announced at a news conference in New York on Thursday.
上周四，美国移民与海关执法局(United States Customs and Immigration Enforcement，简称ICE)下属的国土安全调查处(Homeland Security Investigations)官员在纽约的一个新闻发布会上宣布，这些假货属于一个预谋计划，它源自中国，远及皇后区的仓库甚至伊利诺伊州和加利福尼亚州的零售商。
“This is the largest investigation that our agency has had regarding the amount of counterfeit items,” Angel M. Melendez, New York’s special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New York, said in an interview.
“从假货的数量来看，这是我局进行的规模最大的一次调查，”ICE特工、国土安全调查处纽约负责人安吉尔·M·梅伦德兹(Angel M. Melendez)在接受采访时说。
The goods seized were knockoffs of popular brands, including Gucci, Tory Burch, Hermes, Coach, Burberry, Michael Kors and Louis Vuitton. There was knockoff Chanel perfume, too, which concerned investigators since previous schemes had involved using animal urine instead of the perfume company’s formula.
被查封的商品都是流行品牌的冒牌货，包括古驰、托利·伯奇、爱马仕、蔻驰(Coach)、博柏利(Burberry)、迈克尔·科尔斯(Michael Kors)，以及路易威登(Louis Vuitton)。此外还有香奈儿(Chanel)香水的仿制品，这令调查人员不安，因为在以前的类似案件中，仿制品使用了动物尿液，而不是公司的配方。
Authorities estimated that the loss in retail value to the United States was nearly a half-billion dollars. In 2012, federal authorities in Newark, N.J., charged 29 people with trying to smuggle $325 million worth of fake goods into the country.
当局估计，美国的零售价值因这些假货遭受了将近5亿美元的损失。2012年，新泽西州纽瓦克的联邦官员曾对29人提起诉讼，他们被指控试图将价值3.25亿美元的假货走私到美国。
Mr. Melendez said at the news conference that 32 of the men and women had been arrested. All of them are of Chinese heritage. One was living in the country illegally.
梅伦德兹在新闻发布会上说，已逮捕了32名男子和女子。他们都是华裔，其中一人在美国属于非法居住。
Mr. Melendez said the federal government had attacked the supply chain rather than going after individuals who sell counterfeit goods on the streets.
梅伦德兹说，联邦政府这次打击的是供应链，而不是那些在街头销售假冒商品的个人。
The investigation began in 2012, when Customs and Border Protection agents at the Port of Newark noticed anomalies in a shipping manifest; upon opening a 40-foot cargo container, the agents inspected the goods and realized they were counterfeit, said Leon Hayward, the assistant director of trade and cargo security for the border agency.
这项调查始于2012年，当时，纽瓦克港口的海关和边境保护局(Customs and Border Protection)工作人员在一份舱单上发现了异常，该部门负责贸易和货物安全的助理主任莱昂·海沃德(Leon Hayward)说，在打开了一个40尺货柜后，工作人员对货物进行了检查，发现它们是假货。
Mr. Melendez said that the fraud scheme had two parts. In one, counterfeit goods were made in China and then shipped to the United States through as many as eight legitimate shipping companies.
梅伦德兹说，这个欺诈预谋计划由两部分组成。一是在中国制造假冒商品，然后通过多达八家合法航运公司运往美国。
The importers represented themselves as employees of legitimate importing companies with email addresses and phone numbers. The goods were trucked to warehouses in Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island, and then wholesale distributors sold the goods to other distributors.
这些进口商自称是有电子邮件地址和电话号码的合法进口公司的雇员。这些货物用卡车运到皇后区、布鲁克林和长岛的仓库后，经批发商卖给其他分销商。
In the other part of the scheme, he said, defendants traveled to China to purchase generic items, which could be exported legally. A separate factory then produced knockoff logos, which were smuggled into the United States and affixed to the goods.
梅伦德兹说，计划的另一个部分是，被告人去中国购买可以合法出口的无商标产品。然后在另一家工厂生产假冒商标，这些商标被走私到美国后贴在商品上。
Three retail businesses in Queens and two in Manhattan were part of the scheme, Mr. Melendez said, adding that they had closed. But an employee at one of the businesses identified by authorities, Proya Fashion, in the Manhattan garment district, said it was still operating, and insisted that no one was arrested. The employee hung up before giving her name.
梅伦德兹说，皇后区的三家零售店和曼哈顿的两家零售店都参与了这个预谋计划，并补充说这几家零售店都已关门。但记者联系到被政府确认为参与者的位于曼哈顿服装区的一家名为Proya Fashion的公司时，该公司的一名员工说，公司仍在经营，并坚称没有人被逮捕。这名女性员工没说自己的名字就挂断了电话。
None of the other businesses could be reached for comment.
记者无法联系到其他公司置评。
Twenty of the containers came in through the Port of New York and New Jersey, and two through the Port of Los Angeles, Mr. Melendez said.
梅伦德兹说，有20个集装箱是通过纽约和新泽西的港口进入美国的，另外两个集装箱是通过洛杉矶的港口进来的。
As part of the indictment, authorities for the agency, known as ICE, said they also seized personal property belonging to the defendants in the New York metropolitan area worth a total of $12 million.
ICE官员在起诉书中说，他们还没收了居住在纽约大都会地区的被告人的个人财产，总价值达1200万美元。
ICE is better known for its operations in domestic immigration enforcement, which have led some Democratic candidates around the country to call for the agency to be abolished. Some officials within Homeland Security Investigations, which conducts investigations of crimes like counterfeit goods, money laundering, drug trafficking, human smuggling, child exploitation and cybercrimes, have sought to distance themselves from immigration enforcement.
ICE在美国国内的移民执法行动更广为人知，这导致美国各地的一些民主党候选人呼吁废除该机构。ICE下属的国土安全调查处负责调查假冒商品、洗钱、贩毒、人口贩运、儿童剥削和网络犯罪等非法行为，这个部门的一些官员试图拉开他们与移民执法的距离。
In June, 19 investigators sent a letter to Kirstjen Nielsen, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, requesting a stand-alone agency.
今年6月，19名调查员致函美国国土安全部(Department of Homeland Security)部长克尔斯蒂恩·尼尔森(Kirstjen Nielsen)，要求设立一个独立机构。
Ronald D. Vitiello, the deputy director of ICE, who had come to New York for the announcement of the investigation, said that the agency’s two arms should remain together. “I think the work that both big halves of the organization do are mutually dependent,” he said. “Part of my vision going forward is to make sure each of us understands that.”
负责此次调查的ICE副局长罗纳德·D·维蒂洛(Ronald D. Vitiello)在宣布调查结果时来了纽约，他说，这两个部门不应该分开。“我认为，执法局的两大部门所做的工作是相互依赖的，”他说。“我今后工作的一部分就是要确保我们每个人都懂得这一点。”
