$10 Million in Luxury Knockoff Goods Seized from Canal Street Vendors by NYPD

Fake Fendi, bogus Balenciaga and counterfeit Christian Dior: All part of a $10 million NYPD crackdown on knockoff goods in Manhattan.

On Monday, officers hit Canal Street and loaded onto flatbed trucks thousands of items that look like Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and more — but are fakes. Cops unloaded three trucks packed to the brim back at the stationhouse, a coordinated effort that required several trips with carts to move all the items.

“At this location, we received numerous complaints from small businesses, local banks, community residents and the manufacturers of the high end goods you see here,” said NYPD Chief of Patrol Jeffrey Maddrey.

Police said $10 million worth of the phony products were seized, and Maddrey said 17 people were arrested for selling the mock merch, which also included luxury watches and Air Jordans. Each of those arrested were charged with trademark counterfeiting, a felony.

“Police — they over here grabbing us all of the time. And they give us a record. They take us to jail,” said one of the vendors, Mouni Karamirv. “If you want to stop this, you stop from China. Not over here.”

Some on Canal Street — vendors and pedestrians alike — took issue with the bust, arguing those selling the goods are just trying to make ends meet. But Maddrey said there is a right way and a wrong way to conduct their businesses, and police want to help make that difference clear.

“Over the next few days, we’re going to partner up with our local businesses, our community partners and we’re going to explain the right way to obtain a general vendors license so people can go out there and make a living the right way,” Maddrey said.

Police said all of the counterfeit items will be processed as evidence, which could take two days to fully get through.