Hours before Super Bowl LIV, federal agents seized $123 million worth of counterfeit merchandise.
According to CNN, ICE officials said in a statement that their agents found more than 176,000 counterfeit Super Bowl related merchandise during a mission called “Operation Team Player”. Homeland Security Investigations and Miami-Dade police snatched the merchandise from flea market vendors, retail stores, and street vendors.
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A statement was released by the NFL’s Vice President of Legal Affairs:
“Operation Team Player remains one of the most important national initiatives for protecting sports fans from the sale of counterfeit products and counterfeit tickets. The NFL is committed to supporting these anti-counterfeiting and consumer protection measures, and extends its gratitude for the year-round support of law enforcement partners who drove the success of Operation Team Player.”
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The operation has been in place since last year’s Super Bowl in order to stop the sales of fraudulent goods.
Press play to learn about last year’s raid in the video below and share your thoughts with Yappa.