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A     C  A  S  E     S  T  U  D  Y     O  N     S  U  C  C  E  S  S  F  U  L     E  N  F  O  R  C  M  E  N  T


                                                 R                                                    After developing additional evidence, JLI’s Brand
                                                                                                      Protection group presented its investigation, including
                                                       esponsible manufacturers should play an active role
                                                  to support enforcement against bad actors and illicit  extensive information on the supplier’s activities and
      COLLABORATIVE                               vapor products to help create a more responsible mar-  details on the multiple transactions involving counterfeit

      STAKEHOLDER                                 ketplace. This includes proactive enforcement through  products, to the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s
                                                                                                      Counterfeit and Piracy Enforcement (CAPE) Team. The
                                                  investigations and legal actions, as well as education,
      ENGAGEMENT IN                               training, and intelligence-sharing with law enforcement  CAPE Team agreed to pursue the case and conduct its
                                                  authorities. Collaborative stakeholder enforcement is  own investigation.
                                                  critical to address black markets effectively.
      LOS                                           In 2019, the Brand Protection unit from Juul Labs, Inc.  Ultimately, the CAPE Team secured a search warrant
                                                                                                      against the illicit supplier and ultimately seized hundreds
                                                  (JLI) supported a “first-in-the-nation” investigation of the  of counterfeit JUUL products. Based on statements from
      ANGELES                                     illicit sale and distribution of counterfeit JUUL products in  the supplier’s employees, the amount of seized counterfeit
                                                                                                      pro-duct was only a fraction of what was intended to be
                                                  Los Angeles County, California. As a result, local law
                                                  enforcement authorities were able to disrupt and prose-  distributed across the country. Criminal charges were
                                                  cute the illicit enterprise.                        brought against both the illicit supplier and employees that
                                                                                                      were facilitating the trafficking of black-market vapor
                                                  Through a months-long investigation, JLI’s Brand Pro-  products.
                                                  tection identified a Los Angeles-based distributor that
                                                  was trafficking counterfeit JUUL products and offering  This collaboration between industry and the Los Angeles
                                                  them to unknowing retailers across the country. The  County Sheriff’s Department highlights just how vital
                                                  team identified the illicit supplier and completed multiple  intelligence-sharing and public-private partnerships can be
                                                  transactions for products — confirming that they were in  to combat black-market products. Not only was this a
                                                  fact counterfeit through product identification and testing.  victory for enforcement against illicit activity, but this first-
                                                                                                      in-the-nation investigation of counterfeit vapor products
                                                                                                      also helps protect local communities and U.S. consumers.
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