Customs agents seize 22,000 fake Pennsylvania vehicle inspection stickers shipped from Israel

HARRISBURG, Pa.: The US Customs and Border Protection agency said it has seized more than 20,000 counterfeit Pennsylvania vehicle inspection stickers that were shipped from Israel to an address in Philadelphia.

Customs officers found the stickers in two different shipments that arrived on two different days, Nov. 26 and Dec. 9, and confirmed with Pennsylvania authorities that the stickers were counterfeit, the agency said.

The agency did not say in a Thursday statement who sent the stickers, who was to receive them or what purpose the stickers were going to serve. The agency said it made no arrests.

Had they been real, the 22,000 stickers would have a value of $1.4 million, the agency said. Selling fake vehicle inspection stickers is illegal and a persistent problem for law enforcement, although at a much smaller scale.

Pennsylvania requires that motor vehicles be inspected annually to ensure they meet minimum mechanical, safety and emissions standards. Punishment for using a counterfeit inspection sticker can mean a penalty of up to $500 and jail time, the agency said.