Police Raid Counterfeit Clothing Operation in Queens

Police raided a factory in Queens yesterday that was churning out millions of dollars in counterfeit brand clothing and arrested the two organizers behind what experts called an unprecedented scheme, police officials said.

Jung Ho Ryu, 40, and his wife, Ji Young Ryu, 39, were arrested in Melville, Long Island after detectives raided their portion of a two-story factory in the College Point section of Queens, confiscating three tractor trailer loads of clothing with premium names like Polo Ralph Lauren, Lacoste and Fubu, police said. The street value of the goods was estimated at $4 million as of press time by experts in the counterfeit and trade marking industry, who last night were still rummaging through the factory, the commanding officer of the 109th precinct detective squad in Queens, Lieutenant Thomas Conforti, said.

The raid marks the first time experts at the scene had come across a plot where counterfeit clothing was manufactured in the United States, Mr. Conforti said. Most counterfeit goods are produced abroad and shipped to New York through the Port of Newark, he said.

Eleven employees were arrested at the factory, which Mr. Conforti said had several embroidery machines, and described as "well organized."

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Correction: College Point is the section of Queens where detectives raided a factory. An earlier version of this story misstated the neighborhood.