NYPD Raids Purveyor of Fake Fragrances
WWD reports today that six individuals were arrested Tuesday in what may be the first New York City criminal counterfeiting case involving fragrances. The arrests resulted from an NYPD raid on Price Right Perfume and Watches, located at 1205 Broadway in Manhattan. According to WWD, more than 600 bottles of counterfeit fragrances with a retail value of $36,000 were seized including fakes labeled Armani, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Kenneth Cole, Liz Claiborne and Davidoff. The report quotes an unidentified source as estimating that the store’s inventory had a retail value of close to $3 million, although the portion of this that is counterfeit remains to be determined. The raid was preceded by an investigation sponsored by the Fragrance Foundation and several leading fragrance companies, according to WWD. The industry may have been aided in their efforts to interest law enforcement in the case by the concern that counterfeit fragrances may contain ingredients that are irritating or harmful to consumers.