Thousands of counterfeit Pennsylvania vehicle inspection decals have been confiscated.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently seized 22,000 stickers that were shipped from Israel to an address in Philadelphia.
The fake inspection stickers were assessed at $1,404,700 had they been authentic, authorities said.
Customs and Border Protection officers encountered the fake inspection stickers in two separate shipments – 10,000 in a parcel that arrived on Nov. 26 and 12,000 that arrived in a parcel on Dec. 9, authorities shared.
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Pennsylvania authorities confirmed that the vehicle inspection stickers were counterfeit, and the stickers were seized on Dec. 16.
Pennsylvania law requires that motor vehicles be inspected annually to ensure compliance with minimum motor vehicle mechanical, safety, and emissions standards, and anyone caught with a fake inspection sticker could face a penalty of up to $500 and potential jail time.
“Unscrupulous actors peddling fraudulent vehicle inspection stickers create a very serious public safety concern. Fake inspection stickers mask unsafe motor vehicles that place all motorists on our roadways in harm,” said Cleatus P. Hunt, Jr., CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Philadelphia. “Customs and Border Protection officers will continue to seize illicit and illegal products that could be harmful to consumers and the public when we encounter them.”
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