A Richmond Hill clothing store was shut down Thursday after an multi-agency undercover operation turned up what is believed to  be counterfeit trademark brand clothing, shoes and other items.
The Richmond Hill Police Department and Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT) closed Urban World Clothing at 2552 Hwy. 17 following a search in which officials seized a trailer full of merchandise, according to CNT Agent Gene Harley.
He said the counterfeit items seized included name brands such as Nike, Polo, Baby Phat, Coogi, Sean John and Roca Wear, and could have an estimated street value of as much as $10,000.
No arrests were made Thursday. However, Harley said arrests are expected to be made in the case in the coming weeks.
The Richmond Hill Police Department began receiving complaints in October 2010, and an investigation, led by a Richmond Hill officer assigned to CNT, was established. Harley said during the investigation, agents working undercover made several clothing purchases of items believed to be counterfeit. With the help of a private agency hired by the various branded companies, CNT was able to confirm all of the purchased items were counterfeit, he said.
Harley said all suspected counterfeit items were seized in Thursday’s search. He noted that due to the amount of seized items, officers had to use an RHPD trailer to haul the merchandise to an a secure undisclosed location where it is being held as evidence.
While the main focus of CNT is combating narcotics, the agency is often requested by partnering agencies to assist in various types of undercover operations, Harley said.