Brasília, January 8, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Federal Revenue Service seized 51.1 tons of merchandise imported illegally from the United States, China, and Hong Kong. The apprehensions were made at customs offices in the ports of Rio de Janeiro and Santos.

In Rio, the objects seized have an estimated total worth of R$ 1 million and included a mammography machine, offset printing equipment, copiers, computer devices, and food supplements. Part of the shipment was confiscated for false declaration of the imported articles; that is, the firms had declared that the shipment was composed of transcoders and cable TV equipment.

A container from China was discovered, for its part, because the brand labels were Austrian. Altogether, 11,520 phony purses were seized.

In Santos, the seizures amounted to 13.2 tons of items such as raincoats, soap dishes, bathroom sets, CD carriers, and inflatable plastic mattresses. The cargo, estimated to be worth R$ 265 thousand, came from China and Hong Kong. (DAS)