Big Haul of Counterfeit Mice Seized

Call it operation mouse trap.

In the largest seizure of its kind in the country, local and federal authorities have confiscated 23,000 counterfeit Microsoft mouse devices hidden in a self-storage unit in Huntington Beach.

Westminster police and federal investigators uncovered the imitation computer mice--which have a retail value of about $1 million--during raids conducted last week. The discovery came after a surveillance operation that led them from a Huntington Beach business to the Port of Long Beach and finally to the storage facility.

Detectives are examining whether the fake goods are linked to a suspected counterfeit ring worth hundreds of millions of dollars run by organized crime with links to Southern California.

“This is a very sophisticated operation,” said Westminster police Sgt. Marcus Frank. “Not only did they counterfeit the mice but they counterfeited the boxes that the product goes into.”

At first, police believed the equipment was stolen but genuine. Another inspection, they said, proved otherwise. On one batch of the devices, the “Certificate of Authenticity” read “Certifidate.”

Officials with the giant software company confirmed that the haul is the largest seizure of imitation Microsoft mouse components in North America.

The bust--by a strike team of investigators from Westminster police, the FBI and U.S. Customs--also intercepted a Taiwan-bound shipment of 1,700 pairs of Italian designer shoes stolen last year from a cargo warehouse in Oakland.

Police said they believe the counterfeiters may have traded fake goods for the stolen shoes and intended to sell the boots illegally in Taiwan for as much as $500,000.

No arrests have been made in the case.

Police said a computer sales business in Huntington Beach came under surveillance as detectives traced leads from other recent counterfeit busts in Orange County. Staking out the premises on Jan. 5, detectives watched the arrival of a container truck and saw a man help to load the vehicle with shoes.

Police followed the truck to the Port of Long Beach, where they examined the container. On the dock, detectives said they discovered men and women’s shoes manufactured by brand names such as Quo Vadis and Asolo. Background checks revealed that cargo thieves had stolen the shoes from the Port of Oakland last September.

Two days later, investigators raided the store and found evidence leading them to two nearby storage units. There, detectives slid open a unit’s’ metal door to reveal more than 300 boxes housing the computer mice.

The counterfeit devices were expertly manufactured, police said. The components came with fake serial numbers and bar codes.

The manufacturers even had created fake boxes for the components bearing the stamp of a company authorized to manufacture Microsoft hardware. Genuine mouse devices, detectives estimate, fetch about $45 each.