U.S. Customs authorities oversaw the destruction of about 7000 counterfeit Rolex watches at a contractor’s site in Philadelphia. The fakes met their fate under a multi-ton double-drum steamroller, which ran over the watches about 10 times. Customs officials staged the destruction to highlight law enforcement’s role in protecting intellectual property rights.
The watches were seized from Binh Cam Tran who is serving six years in federal prison after being convicted of trafficking in counterfeit goods, conspiracy, and nine counts of money laundering. Binh was also ordered to pay Rolex USA $2,273,166 in restitution.
Authorities say Binh fabricated hundreds of thousands of fake Rolex watches in his home near Philadelphia. Officials seized about 24,000 counterfeit watches, and enough parts to create 1 million more.
Photo: Steve Sapp – U.S. Customs and Border Protection
