The New York City Police Department’s “Community Link” recently announced a joint law enforcement operation in Manhattan’s Chinatown, successfully seizing counterfeit goods worth approximately $23 million, cracking down on rampant illegal street vending activities on Canal Street.
According to information released by the police on March 13th, this operation was launched in response to long-term complaints from community residents, led by “Community Link” and executed jointly by the Fifth Precinct, First Precinct, Community Response Team, Technical Assistance Response Unit (TARU), NYC Sanitation, and the Office of the Sheriff. The week-long operation specifically targeted the illegal street vendors selling counterfeit goods.
Video footage showed that during this clearance operation, the police deployed drones for aerial surveillance. On the main road, vendors quickly fled to the opposite side of the road with backpacks, rolling suitcases, and hand luggage, disregarding passing vehicles. However, some culprits were detained by law enforcement officers, and carts filled with counterfeit goods were loaded onto law enforcement vehicles. The police warehouse was filled with various counterfeit products such as bags.
The police stated that they will continue to monitor the illegal sale of counterfeit goods in the Chinatown area and work closely with relevant departments to ensure that citizen complaints are effectively handled, aiming to improve the living environment for residents and visitors.