PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized 20,400 counterfeit Oral-B toothbrush heads recently in Philadelphia that were destined to an address in Delran, N.J.
Oral-B toothbrush heads in Philadelphia
November 7, 2019.
CBP officers initially examined the air cargo shipment October 1 and detained the shipment as suspected counterfeit consumer goods due to poor packaging and questionable quality. The shipment contained 1,200 10-pack and 2,800 3-pack toothbrush heads marked with the Oral-B brand name.
CBP officers worked with CBP’s Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising Centers for Excellence and Expertise, the agency’s trade experts and verified through the trademark holder that the products were counterfeit, and seized the shipment November 7.
Counterfeit toothbrush heads pose a serious health threat to consumers, as do all counterfeit healthcare products. Counterfeit brush heads are manufactured in unsanitary facilities with substandard materials that may sicken users or cause bleeding to a user’s gums or mouth, and structural defects may cause the brush head to detach and potentially choke users.
The products, if authentic, would have a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of $95,600.
“Customs and Border Protection will continue to work with our trade and consumer safety partners to identify and seize counterfeit consumer goods that threaten American shoppers, such as these potentially dangerous tooth brush heads,” said Casey Durst, Director of Field Operations for CBP’s Baltimore Field Office. “CBP urges consumers to protect themselves and their families by purchasing authentic health and hygiene products from reputable vendors.”
CBP protects businesses and consumers every day through an aggressive Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement program. Importation of counterfeit merchandise can cause significant revenue loss, damage the U.S. economy, and threaten the health and safety of the American people.
On a typical day in 2018, CBP officers seized $3.7 million worth of products with IPR violations. Learn more about what CBP did during "A Typical Day" in 2018.
In fiscal year (FY) 2018, the number of IPR seizures decreased by 333 seizures to 33,810 from 34,143 in FY 2017. The total estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of the seized goods, had they been genuine, increased to nearly $1.4 billion from over $1.2 billion in FY 2017. Read more 2018 IPR Enforcement Statistics.
As a result of CBP enforcement efforts, ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested 381 individuals, obtained 296 indictments, and received 260 convictions related to intellectual property crimes in 2018.
CBP's border security mission is led at ports of entry by CBP officers from the Office of Field Operations. Please visit CBP Ports of Entry to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders.
Learn more about CBP at CBP.gov.