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Knockoffs: Funding Terror?
Aired July 17, 2003 - 14:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: From terror overseas to terror financing in the streets of America, those knocked off purses or watches or even CDs you may have purchased from street vendors could be funding terrorism. Interpol is making the claim.
CNN's Deborah Feyerick has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You see them on lots of New York City street corners, counterfeit tee shirts, bootleg DVDs, fake designer handbags. A Louie Vuitton for just 18 bucks? Don't think so.
Beneath the lingo for these kind of knockoffs is intellectual property theft. The International Trade Commission estimates sales of fake good worldwide total $350 billion a year but now, claims of a new, more dangerous cost.
TIM TRAINER, INTL. ANTI-COUNTERFEITING COALITION: There is a very, very strong indication that there would be links to terrorist organizations.
FEYERICK: An industry anti-counterfeiting group claims terrorists are funding operations by selling counterfeit goods. At a hearing on Capitol Hill, the head of Interpol testified containers of phony products have been confiscated from al Qaeda supporters.
RON NOBLE, INTERPOL: If you find one al Qaeda operative with it it's like finding one roach in your house or one rat in your house. It should be enough to draw your attention to it.
FEYERICK: A report compiled by the trade group cites what they call evidence. A raid on a Manhattan souvenir shop that allegedly turned up counterfeit watches and manuals for Boeing 767s, and the discovery in Denmark of shipping containers filled with counterfeit shampoo and perfume allegedly sent by a member of al Qaeda.
But the claims may be just claims. To date, the Justice Department has brought no charges linking any counterfeit scheme with terrorism. Treasury officials do not discount the claims but say they've brought no official action to indicate such a link; however, homeland security officials do acknowledge in the post-9/11 world they're looking at old style crimes like counterfeiting and money laundering in a new light. (on camera): There's still very little hard evidence linking counterfeiting with terrorism and there is another possibility. With government focused on fighting al Qaeda and its allies, Washington insiders say to get any attention these days you've got to show that your cause has some link to terrorism.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 17, 2003 - 14:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: From terror overseas to terror financing in the streets of America, those knocked off purses or watches or even CDs you may have purchased from street vendors could be funding terrorism. Interpol is making the claim.
CNN's Deborah Feyerick has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You see them on lots of New York City street corners, counterfeit tee shirts, bootleg DVDs, fake designer handbags. A Louie Vuitton for just 18 bucks? Don't think so.
Beneath the lingo for these kind of knockoffs is intellectual property theft. The International Trade Commission estimates sales of fake good worldwide total $350 billion a year but now, claims of a new, more dangerous cost.
TIM TRAINER, INTL. ANTI-COUNTERFEITING COALITION: There is a very, very strong indication that there would be links to terrorist organizations.
FEYERICK: An industry anti-counterfeiting group claims terrorists are funding operations by selling counterfeit goods. At a hearing on Capitol Hill, the head of Interpol testified containers of phony products have been confiscated from al Qaeda supporters.
RON NOBLE, INTERPOL: If you find one al Qaeda operative with it it's like finding one roach in your house or one rat in your house. It should be enough to draw your attention to it.
FEYERICK: A report compiled by the trade group cites what they call evidence. A raid on a Manhattan souvenir shop that allegedly turned up counterfeit watches and manuals for Boeing 767s, and the discovery in Denmark of shipping containers filled with counterfeit shampoo and perfume allegedly sent by a member of al Qaeda.
But the claims may be just claims. To date, the Justice Department has brought no charges linking any counterfeit scheme with terrorism. Treasury officials do not discount the claims but say they've brought no official action to indicate such a link; however, homeland security officials do acknowledge in the post-9/11 world they're looking at old style crimes like counterfeiting and money laundering in a new light. (on camera): There's still very little hard evidence linking counterfeiting with terrorism and there is another possibility. With government focused on fighting al Qaeda and its allies, Washington insiders say to get any attention these days you've got to show that your cause has some link to terrorism.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
