Police arrest 32 at Salem flea market

We had the trucks rented and everything else and then we hit it and found there was probably twice as much as any of us expected. More than 30 officers were on hand for the operation at the Salem Flea Market at 18 Hampshire Road after serving 29 search warrants following a four-month undercover investigation of counterfeit designer goods ... via UnionLeader

[Flea Market Grannie]

Does anyone else find this odd? I beleive the people investigating this have too much free time on their hands. I have never been able to tell a conterfiet peice of merchandise from a fake and I bet not many people out ther could either. Looks like crime and drugs on the street are ok, but discount handbags are dangerous.
My family and I have been going to the flea market for years and have had nothing but great shopping experiences. I seem to remember seeing quite a few local officials shopping there too. It obviously wasn't illegal when they were purchasing the handbags for personal use. Double standards...

[Linda]

The problem is they have nothing better else to do.

Anyway I heard the Salem mall people were bitching about how the Salem Flea Market was getting more business.

Anyway knockoff stuff are everywhere ... Sure it's illegal but it's every where ... I have been to NYC where police would just pass through the streets without arresting anyone selling knockoff Chanel, Gucci bags at all.

So it's kinda stupid everyone is trying to make a living... and no one buys bags that are no name brands ... It's just stupid overall

Another reason is that the economy is bad now which is another reason for doing this because the big companies are losing money ...

But it's kinda stupid people who buy knockoff stuff can't afford the real thing anyway so why bother with petty stuff.

If they really want to stop illegal selling .. why not stop the ones who are wholesaling it to the vendors..

[Mike]

I agree with the other comments. I find it foolish. A local mall is envious of a local Flea Market? Sounds like the mall needs better management. Maybe the designers should lower their prices. Was the Salem mall complaining about the other NH Flea Markets like Derry and Londonderry, or just Salem?
How about this, why are these counterfit items even allowed in the country if they are illegal? Why doesnt customs stop them at the docks? I guess its better for them to let them slide by the NY ports and confiscate them in Salem NH. Makes perfecte sense. Oh and how about the private investigation firm? Guess they cant find a real crime to investigate. Business must be bad. Find a real job why dont you!

[Susan]

THE POLICE NEED TO GO TO DERRY NH. GRANDVIEW FLEA MARKET. I think the DA needs to be informed of the situation. Its like the police letting one person sell drugs and not the other. What is going on? Maybe internal affairs needs to be notified. I have already made a formal complaint. I guess its not a crime until you get caught?

[Deb]

Think about this. There are people like me who can't afford the real Coach, Channel etc handbags and pay thousands of dollars. Noboady was getting hurt they sell the same handbags on the streets of New York 10 times the amount and the police don't even care they look the other way. In fact now a days you can sell drugs right in front of the police and they won't even touch you. I bet some of the policemens wifes were upset that they closed them down I bet they were buying the handbags and knowing what was going on Hmm I wonder if they got the slince treatment??

[Ashley]

I don't know what the big deal is about selling Knockoff bags in Flea market is because I sure ain't going to pay $700 for a designer bag. I could see how pirated movies and CD's hurt the industry but knockoff bags? It doesn't do anything because those who buy it just can't afford the designer bags.

I went to a Chanel Outlet store ouch $569 for a Chanel Wallet ... a small wallet WTF apparently the outlet store isn't on sale either... so frustrating...

Are the Salem Flea Market Knockoff bag vendors back yet?

[maria]

susan from belmont ma I go to derry and i see nothing wrong with selling knockoffs whats the big deal..I wouod never pay $1000 for a handbag so why cant people have one what looks like the real thing? What is the harm? Why are you so bitter about this..it sounds like you have a handbag stuck up ur butt

[Vendor]

The SALEM FLEA MARKET is still OPEN!! They are still at full occupancy.

[doesnt matter]

Why is the Derry NH Flea Market allowed to sell counterfeit items? The other flea market vendors were arrested and fined but the Derry NH vendors are still making money hand over fist. Andrea Powers and her team have to police every establishment or none at all. The next person to hear my complaint will be the attorney general. I dont want my kids purchasing counterfeit items and supporting terrorism.

[Ashley]

Umm Not everyone selling knockoff support Terrorism ... Your an idiot. These people work at 3-4am setting up to sell stuff ... most are making money for their families to live ... not support terrorism ... Some are but not everyone ... and Umm There is like thousands of flea markets ...

So the Police is suppose to govern all the Flea markets every week so that people are getting murders and killed?

Why are you so Gun-ho about fricking counterfeit items .... Do you work for Louis Vuitton or Chanel or something? What's your problem ?

If you don't want your kids purchasing counterfeits then govern your kids and stop trying to be I will change the world MoM.

For the rest of us we will buy whatever we want ... I am not going to pay $700 for a bag.

If you want to fight something meaningful go fight real Crimes.

[Change the world MOM]

Fine with me but I dont see it fit that one establishment be reprimaded but not the other. Granted the Salem Flea Market is bigger and better than Derry but I still dont see it fair.
Ashley what is your opinion about raiding one flea market and not the other?

[Ashley]

Your right it isn't fair but do we really want tax payer money to eliminate every single flea market where illegal activities are going on. Investigations takes alot of time and effort and money which can be used somewhere else.

But it is wrong to bust one flea market and not another but then again these vendors just returns again.

I know in NYC when they bust their knockoff vendors they are right back on the street next week so I don't really see how it is solving the issue. They get a fine.

The real source is to prosecute those who are smuggling them into the USA as we cannot prosecute those who are outside of the USA like China.

[Fed Up]

Hey Ashley. Selling counterfeit items IS and has always been a crime. Maybe you should spend some time reading up on the subject. If you has trademarked a product and asian imports were selling them to the tune of millions of dollars each year would you be upset? You sure would! A crime is a crime not matter which way you look at it. If you cannot afford to buy a $700 purse then buy one that you can afford and live within your means. There are millions of less expensive and good looking purses that do not cost $700. Anyway, with all those ugly cheap plastic knock off handbags out there, nobody cares if it has a name brand on it since everyone has the same carp! The Derry Flea Market is next! And, then the Londonderry Flea market is on the list too! Can't wait, would love to be there to watch them go down....

[Ashley]

And you think this is happening only in New Hampshire? Gimme a break this crap is happening all over the world but there is more upsetting crimes in the world than counterfeit. Sure it's wrong but would you rather someone spend 3-4 months organizing a raid on a flea market than a drug organization?

All these things are illegal. Heck Jaywalking is illegal too but we all do it everyday.

The point is who is it hurting? People buy counterfeits all the time and it doesn't kill you. It just an item that will break in a few months. People pay for crap and some people pay for quality. I say let it be.

Fed Up wrote:

Hey Ashley. Selling counterfeit items IS and has always been a crime. Maybe you should spend some time reading up on the subject. If you has trademarked a product and asian imports were selling them to the tune of millions of dollars each year would you be upset? You sure would! A crime is a crime not matter which way you look at it. If you cannot afford to buy a $700 purse then buy one that you can afford and live within your means. There are millions of less expensive and good looking purses that do not cost $700. Anyway, with all those ugly cheap plastic knock off handbags out there, nobody cares if it has a name brand on it since everyone has the same carp! The Derry Flea Market is next! And, then the Londonderry Flea market is on the list too! Can't wait, would love to be there to watch them go down....

[Ashley]

People need to stop worrying about stupid stuff like this. Yes its not fair for one fleamarket to get busted and not another. But drug dealers are out their everyday along with rapits and robbers, one gets away and one gets caught. Our economy is bad enough the way it is and our taxes are going up, so lets waste usless tax money on trying to catch and fine these people. They are not harming anyone and as far as im concerned selling these bags is not hurting anyone. As for the mom from methuen, stopping and making decisions for your children will not help nor work. People who buy these items are not supporting terrorism give me a break, why dont you worry about the teens who buy explosives on ebay LEGALLY. Find something better to do!!!

[Proof where is it]

I find no big deal in buying the items. Everything in the USA is made in some foreign country anyway. Do we really know for a fact that these chinese vendors are supporting terrorism? No we dont as we never ask for proof we rely on what the media tells us. Does this powers & associates investigative team have proof that buying or selling knoock-offs are funding terrorism no they dont, they are telling you this as a scare tactic so that you wont buy it, sell it or whatever. Does copying something and reselling it make it right no it doesnt but its a personal decision as to whether you are going to buy the item or not. Did you ever stop to think perhaps this is all the work these people know and that perhaps they are supporting families in their own country as a lot of them do. Is it the right way for them to live probably not.
If you notice they never site in the article or any time they make a bust exactly who these pleather bags maybe funding. I think we have bigger fish to fry then worrying about this. Again where is the proof we only hear what we want to hear and believe what others write doesnt always make it true.

[Traxx]

The big companies should be glad people are buying replica bags because that's more exposure for them. If someone had my brand and was wearing it everyday, I'll be like go ahead, that's giving me more exposure. If the big companies are so worried about replica bags, why don't they just lower their prices....wouldn't that make sense...duh!! People have nothing else better to do. You should spend your time on fighting real crimes!!! That's why America is all messed up now because we have our priorities all screwed up!!

[u people suck]

let us buy what we want its our money, u dont work for my money

[Toots]

Why don't you all shut the hell up. Who cares what other people want to spend their money on. Why don't all you people who are going through life so pissed off over goddamn knockoff handbags find something else to worry about. If you don't like it, don't buy them. Doesn't mean you have to be calling internal affairs, Susan, you loser.

[krystal]

So instead of your kids buying a fake gucci bag, give them 500 bucks for a real coach bag.. they can grow up to be a snotty rat fink wench like you,,. hope that no one tracks you down for ratting and calling the attorney general on peopkle selling fake bags, you might just get a real coach bag shoved up your ass....