WASHINGTON, Jan 17, 2008 (AFP) - Three people have been charged with importing hundreds of thousands of bogus luxury bags and wallets from China into the United States, the US Justice Department said Thursday 17th January.

New York residents Chong Lam, 49, Eric Yuen, 39 and Siu Yung Chan, 39, also know as Joyce Chan, were arrested and charged with conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods imported from China and illegally smuggling counterfeit goods into the United States.

They were also charged with trafficking in counterfeit handbags, wallets, purses, and carry-on bags using luxury brand names such as Burberry, Louis Vuitton and Gucci, the department said.

The trio are accused of importing 300,000 items that, if real, would have been worth 100 million dollars, the department said. But the accused allegedly made an estimated 16 million dollars from the sales, authorities said.

The department touted the arrests as one the largest ever counterfeit luxury goods bust in the United States.

If convicted on all charges, the three could face 55 years behind bars and 8.75 million in fines dollars.