U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 22,000 counterfeit Pennsylvania vehicle inspection stickers shipped from foreign countries to Philadelphia, marking a significant bust in vehicle safety fraud.
The shipments, valued at $1.4 million if authentic, arrived in two separate parcels – 10,000 stickers on November 26 and 12,000 on December 9.
Pennsylvania authorities confirmed the stickers were counterfeit, leading to their seizure on December 16.
“Unscrupulous actors peddling fraudulent vehicle inspection stickers create a very serious public safety concern,” said Cleatus P. Hunt, Jr., CBP’s Area Port Director for Philadelphia. “Fake inspection stickers mask unsafe motor vehicles that place all motorists on our roadways in harm.”
The agency has not identified the sender or intended recipient, and no arrests have been made.
Pennsylvania law requires annual vehicle inspections to ensure compliance with mechanical, safety, and emissions standards. Drivers caught using counterfeit inspection stickers face penalties up to $500 and possible jail time.