Detectives seize fake goods at swap meet

Vendors were selling counterfeit purses, CDs at Golden West College event; one man is arrested.Undercover detectives and private investigators have seized more than $180,000 worth of counterfeit merchandise from several vendors at the Golden West College Swap Meet, police said.

Police arrested Huntington Beach resident Masood Firoozkhoohi, 53, on charges of selling counterfeit goods. Police also detained a woman, who was cited and released.

Police made the undercover bust Oct. 8, acting on tips from civilians that fake merchandise was being sold at the swap meet, Huntington Beach Lt. Craig Junginger said.

Huntington Beach detectives collaborated with a group of private detectives hired by companies victimized by counterfeiting, Junginger said.

Police displayed the seized merchandise at police headquarters last week. Purses bearing the coveted names of Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade and Coach covered two tables in a small upstairs room at the station. Boxes of pirated CDs leaned against the tables.

Detectives pointed out the telling features of a fake handbag. Plastic wrap covering the handles and painted trim is a giveaway, said one undercover detective.

Companies large and small feel the loss when merchants sell counterfeit goods at a fraction of the cost of the real thing, said Kris Buckner, a private investigator with the firm Investigative Consultants.

When people sell pirated CDs, the loss to recording artists is “just staggering,” said Marcus Cohen, an anti-piracy lawyer for the Recording Industry Assn. of America.

The operators of the swap meet are cooperating with police in putting a stop to future sales of counterfeit goods, Junginger said. The swap meet requires vendors to sign an agreement that they will not sell counterfeit merchandise.

Police plan to conduct future sweeps of the swap meet in search of any more merchants selling counterfeit goods.

As for the loot of fakes seized at the swap meet, it will all be destroyed eventually. 20051020iokyipkn(LA)Counterfeit sunglasses and watches were some of the items seized by Huntington Beach Police at the Golden West College Swap Meet. Counterfeit sunglasses and watches were among the items seized. 20051020iokyi6knPHOTOS BY KENT TREPTOW / INDEPENDENT(LA)Lt. Craig Junginger of the Huntington Beach Police Department speaks to the media beside a table filled with counterfeit CDs, purses and other goods confiscated at the Golden West College Swap Meet. Counterfeit sunglasses and watches were some of the items seized by Huntington Beach Police at the Golden West College Swap Meet. Counterfeit sunglasses and watches were among the items seized.