BAMBERG – A purchase of clothing by undercover operatives at a Bamberg business has resulted in the confiscation of approximately $52,150 worth of counterfeit and pirated merchandise, police say.

Undercover operatives purchased counterfeit brand-name clothing and pirated DVDs and CDs from Manhattan South, located at 3077 Main Highway in Bamberg, on Feb. 9. The merchandise was identified as being counterfeit, and on Tuesday, Feb. 13, officers with the Bamberg Police Department and the Office of the Secretary of State obtained a search warrant for the business.

The owner of Manhattan South was not at the store when police arrived. The owner first purchased a license for the downtown business in 1999.

Bamberg Police Officers James Smoak, Chris Sandifer, Jerry Proveaux and Sammy Bamberg were assisted by Mark Hammond in identifying and seizing an assortment of items.

“Some of the counterfeit brand names included Timberline boots, Nike tennis shoes, Lacoste shirts, Apple Bottoms and Rocawear,” Smoak said. “DVDs and DCs included titles that had not yet been released in stores.”

Counterfeit goods are often sold at a fraction of the price of the authentic, brand-name items, he said.

“Price is a dead giveaway with these types of items,” Smoak said. “The buyer is actually getting inferior merchandise.”

When counterfeit brand-name items are sold, the retailer is the one held responsible, Smoak said. If a customer is buying more than 25 of a single item, that points to that buyer’s intention of redistributing the items, he said, and those buyers then become suspect as well.

The investigation into the sale of counterfeit goods at Manhattan South is ongoing, and no arrests have been made yet, Smoak said.

According to the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition Council at http://www.iacc.org/, consumers should not buy “fakes” simply because they are easy to find and priced much lower. Counterfeiting is an illegal activity, and buyers should patronize legitimate, responsible companies, the Coalition cautions.

“We are calling all consumers to become educated about the consequences of purchasing counterfeit products,” the IACC states. “We want consumers to know counterfeiters are hardened criminals, exploiting consumers, businesses and children in sweatshops.”

Profits for the sale of fake goods frequently support gangs, organized crime, terrorism and child labor, the IACC states.

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