Homeland Security Smashes Fake Nike Ring

[bhikkhu]

US smashes 'fake Nike smugglers'

The US says it has seized more than 135,000 fake Nike running shoes, smashing one of the largest counterfeit smuggling rings in recent history.
Six people have been charged with trying to import the fake goods from China, US officials said.
The US Homeland Security and Justice departments said they had disrupted "one of the largest counterfeit merchandise smuggling schemes uncovered in recent US history".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5322332.stm

Thank God they caught them...and we can all sleep soundly tonight.

[donco6]

1. I feel safer already!

Now that the world is free from the threat of fake Nike goods.

[Fenris]

2. Perhaps "Corporate Security" might be a better title.

God help us if they start cooperating with the RIAA in the name of "national security."

[havocmom]

3. Government of, by and for corporate interests

Nothing being done to make PEOPLE more secure.

[bhikkhu]

6. what would be nice to know...

how the pay packages compare between the Asian workers building the fake Nikes, and the Asian workers building the real Nikes.

[sandnsea]

11. Or whether they came from the same place

And the fake Nikes just didn't go through Nike central and get the $200 price tag, or whatever the hell shoes are selling for these days.

[dipsydoodle]

12. My thoughts on the subject

too.

[951-Riverside]

4. Homeland Security is a fucking joke

They could care less about terrorism.

[w4rma]

5. And what does this have to do with catching terrorists?

Have they put all these Homeland Security people on non-terrorism cases?

[InkAddict]

7. It's a sinister plot - they were all

left shoes! LOL

[aaronbees]

8. Were there bombs in these shoes?

What's Homeland Security doing in this? Don't they have important things to be doing?

[Sven77]

9. tax dollars at work

certainly looks like corporate security and slave trainers to me.

[ThsMchneKilsFascists]

10. corporate cops on the 'public' dole

one more sign of neo-fascism

[Eurobabe]

13. Top of priority list, fucking counterfeit shoes, unbelievable

Hey CONS, how's that Port Security coming along, you know the container screening?

[truthisfreedom]

14. homeland security does something besides sit on their asses and drain

the US Treasury after being hired just because their bush's friends... but no terror involved whatsoever.

film at 11.

[saigon68]

15. Draining the puss filled boils on their big fat asses

kind of like that fat guy you know "Boil ass boy"

I'll bet he is counting his corporate dividends as I post.
LOL

[Solly Mack]

16. so uh, terrorists wear fake Nikes?

Making the DHS the umbrella organization for Customs (among others) doesn't mean the DHS is doing anything to protect Americans just because Customs does the job it always did BEFORE becoming a part of the DHS.


Why doesn't the DHS take credit for the counterfeit golf equipment as well? Don't terrorists play golf?
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/highlights/counterfeit_golf.xml

[jmm]

17. Glad to see Homeland Security has it's priorities straight.

:eyes:

[peacebird]

18. wow... Guess the warrantless wiretaps are really helping keep us safe

from counterfeit tennis shoes anyhow.....

:sarcasm:

[Divernan]

19. US taxpayers now will pay costs of imprisoning foreign nationals.

"The fake Nike Air Jordan shoes reportedly had a retail value of $16m (£8.5m) and were to be smuggled to the US in 15 shipping containers.

The gang members are said to have come from Mexico, China and the US. The charges they face carry a five-year prison sentence and fine of $250,000 (£133,000). "

Figuring the costs of imprisonment at minimally $35,000 a year per prisoner, and understanding that the prisoners will not be earning money to pay off their $250,000 fine, and once they finish their jail sentences, the foreign nationals will be deported so the feds will have no leverage to make them PAY the $250,000 so that you can write off those fines - figuring all that, what are we left with?

Taxpayers paying $175,000 to jail each of these non-violent, white-collar criminals, along with the costs of prosecution. So if 4 of the 6 are foreign nationals - that's $700,000 plus costs of prosecution. Brilliant! (sarcasm)