U.S. Customs and Border Protection [website] revealed it recently seized four shipments of counterfeit bearings in Phoenix, Arizona.

The bearings originated in China, and arrived at the seaport of Los Angeles. At that time, CBP developed suspicions about the bearings being counterfeit and began tracking their whereabouts. CPB continued to track the shipments as they were trucked to Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport.

Four separate shipments were involved in the seizure, totaling more than 1,200 bearings.

CBP did not disclose the brand name on the counterfeits, only specifying that the true value of the bearings was approximately $14,700, while the false branding would have boosted the approximate retail value to more than $130,000.

Acting port director, Warren Eales, said: "CBP is charged with enforcing trade laws and we continue to devote substantial resources to target, intercept, detain, seize and forfeit shipments of goods that violate those laws. In this instance, the import specialists determined that the circumstances and details surrounding the shipments appeared suspicious and they took a closer look."