Pricey purses found during traffic stop

By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

February 28, 2008 11:26 pm

— CONNEAUT — Purses with possibly pricey pedigrees were found by Conneaut police officers this week working a new highway surveillance detail on Interstate 90, officers said.
If the handbags prove to be the real deal, the value of the confiscated accessories could exceed $30,000, said Deputy Chief John Kuivila.
Officers stopped an eastbound Cadillac on I-90 early Tuesday morning for a routine traffic violation, Kuivila said. Inside were three men who said they were traveling from Atlanta to Buffalo, N.Y., he said.
The men gave conflicting statements, which prompted police to search the vehicle, Kuivila said. In the trunk they found 35 “high-end purses” bearing the names of world-class designers like Louis Vuitton, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana, he said.
When the men couldn’t produce any proof of purchase, the bags were seized, Kuivila said. No arrests were made, he said.
The next step is to determine if the bags are legitimate, not counterfeit, Kuivila said.
If the purses are genuine, police will try to find if someone is missing some very expensive leather — the cheapest bag could retail around $600, while another could approach $3,000 in value.
Officers working a new highway interdiction program were credited for popping the purses. The new program pays special attention to transportation routes drug smugglers may use to cross through the city, Kuivila said. Two patrolmen, Tim Rose and Steve Gerics, recently returned from a seminar that taught the officers tricks used by smugglers and how to locate suspicious vehicles.
“They’ve been trained to look for this type of criminal activity,” Kuivila said. “They had been back from school for just a week.”