Baltimore investigators seize 36 websites

Special agents from ICE Homeland Security Investigations Baltimore seized 36 websites Monday as a part of a larger international enforcement operation.

The larger operation, which included law enforcement agencies from Belgium, Denmark, France, Romania, the United Kingdom and the European Police Office (Europol) seized 132 domain names that investigators say were selling counterfeit merchandise online.

The bust was part of Project Cyber Monday 3 and Project Transatlantic. 

This year's operation is the third coordinated with Cyber Monday.

"This operation is a great example of the tremendous cooperation between ICE and our international partners at the IPR Center," said ICE Director John Morton. "Our partnerships enable us to go after criminals who are duping unsuspecting shoppers all over the world. This is not an American problem, it is a global one and it is a fight we must win."

The IPR Center and Europol received leads from various trademark holders regarding the infringing websites. Those leads were disseminated to eight investigating HSI field offices in Baltimore, Buffalo, Denver, El Paso, Newark, San Antonio, San Diego, and Ventura (Calif.) and to the investigating Europol member countries including Belgium, Denmark, France, Romania and the United Kingdom.