Counterfeit Cigarettes Worth More Than $400K Seized At Dulles

STERLING, VA — Federal officers seized 2,250 cartons of counterfeit Camel cigarettes at Washington Dulles International Airport, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Friday.

The shipment arrived from Singapore through Japan on July 11 and was destined for an address in Miami, according to CBP. Officers seized the cigarettes Aug. 14 after the manufacturer confirmed that they were counterfeit.

The cigarettes would have had an estimated retail value of $404,842 if they had been genuine, CBP said.

Unusual Markings Prompted Closer Inspection

Officers initially inspected 45 boxes labeled “Camel Yellow Cigarettes,” each containing 50 cartons of Camel-branded cigarettes.

CBP detained the shipment for additional research because of its unusual logo design, markings and shipping route. Camel cigarettes are manufactured by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Trade experts with CBP’s Agriculture and Prepared Products Center of Excellence and Expertise contacted R.J. Reynolds for help authenticating the cigarettes. The company determined that the products were not genuine, according to CBP.

“Counterfeit cigarettes deprive the United States of tax revenue and pose a serious health concern to smokers who have no idea what, if any, dangerous chemicals they are actually inhaling with the tobacco,” Christine Waugh, CBP’s area port director for Washington, D.C., said in a statement.

Waugh said intercepting counterfeit products is a CBP trade-enforcement priority intended in part to protect consumers.

CBP said counterfeit products can deprive trademark owners and governments of revenue, fund transnational criminal organizations and pose potential health risks because the merchandise is not regulated.

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During fiscal year 2025, CBP officers and Homeland Security Investigations agents seized nearly 78.4 million shipments containing approximately 25 million counterfeit items, according to the agency. The products would have had an estimated retail value of more than $7.4 billion if they had been genuine.

Suspected counterfeit merchandise may be reported through CBP’s online e-Allegations portal or by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT.