Customs agents at John F. Kennedy International Airport seized more than 2,000 counterfeit bills that had been smuggled into the country in picture frames, electronics cases and a Barney the dinosaur bag.
Officials say that agents found 1,252 counterfeit $100 bills in an international shipment from “Handycrafts Pictures” during a search on July 15.
The next day, they searched another shipment from “Handycraft Bags,” and found another 853 fake bills. In total, the counterfeits added up to the equivalent of $210,500.
Officers say that the bills were hidden inside photo frames, protective cases and book bags.
The bills will be destroyed, officials say. The Secret Service has launched an investigation into the source of the counterfeits.
