The Big Fake M.A.C. Airport Caper

Inspectors at LAX today encountered a not-so-pretty find : About 5,400 fake M.A.C makeup brushes attempting to land in L.A. from China, reports CBS2. The faux beauty tools arrived, and seized, " in five shipments at an air cargo express consignment location between Jan. 20 and Feb. 11," according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) rep. The big pile of fake M.A.C. was estimated as having a retail value of $112,500. Okay, so are fake makeup brushes really a big deal? Yes, say customs officials, because they're sort of a gateway drug to other offenses: "the trading of illegitimate goods is often linked to and provides funding for various other criminal enterprises."