Gucci and Louis Vuitton among thousands of seized fakes

US officials have seized thousands of counterfeit goods including Nike and Louis Vuitton clothing.

Around 6,000 pieces of clothing and other items were taken from The Source II Urban Wear store in the city of Detroit.

According to the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), part of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which conducted the raid, it carried out the operation following multiple undercover buys at the store.

Gucci sunglasses, Rolex watches, and Polo and True Religion merchandise were among other the other items seized.

The search and subsequent arrests come at the “height of the holiday shopping season” when counterfeit merchandise is highly pervasive, the HSI said.

“During the weeks leading up to the New Year, the market is flooded with counterfeit products being sold at stores, on street corners and online,” the HSI added.

The store’s owner, Cerhue Walker, was arrested at his home on charges of trafficking counterfeit goods. A stolen handgun was also found.

A second suspect, Latrice Walker, was arrested at the store following the raid.

Marlon Miller, special agent in charge of HSI Detroit, said: “At this time of year, counterfeit traffickers often exploit the enthusiasm of consumers looking for good deals."

“We urge consumers to do their homework and find out if they’re buying from legitimate retailers. The sad reality is that there is little or no recourse for people who are scammed by counterfeiter traffickers,” he added.

There have been several raids clamping down on counterfeits in the build up to Christmas. Last month, WIPR reported that counterfeit Disney dolls and festive toys were among thousands of fakes seized at the port of Dover in the UK.