WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Three Chinese nationals accused of importing thousands of counterfeit luxury handbags in the United States have been arrested in the past two days, federal authorities announced Thursday.

Shoppers sort through counterfeit brand name luxury bags and wallets on a Hong Kong street.

"This was a sophisticated criminal conspiracy that trafficked millions of dollars of counterfeit goods from China, profiting off the backs of legitimate companies and their hard-working employees," said Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher.

Authorities call it one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered, involving about 300,000 bags and wallets with names like Burberry, Gucci and Coach.

For customers who bought the knockoffs, it seemed like a deal.

They paid a total of about $16 million for what would have been more than $100 million in handbags, purses and wallets in legitimate retail sales.

The alleged leaders of the counterfeit operations are three Chinese citizens living in New York.

Chong Lam, 49, and Joyce Chan, 39, were arrested there Wednesday. Eric Yuen, 39, was arrested Thursday in Las Vegas, Nevada. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who made the arrests began investigating the alleged scheme five years ago, after raids turned up counterfeit goods.

The indictment was secretly returned in Richmond, Virginia, in October. The charges were unsealed when the alleged conspirators were taken into custody. Authorities seized and froze 29 bank accounts and three New York properties.

The Chinese defendants will be taken to Richmond, where they will be arraigned at a later date, officials said. E-mail to a friend
Who was responsible for the counterfeiting? Who called it one of the largest operations? What was allegedly involved in the counterfeit operation. Who was living in New York? what items were counterfitted? What city do the (alleged) leaders live in? What number of bags and wallets were involved? What are authorities calling it? Who are the leaders? What was being counterfeited? Who profited off the backs of legitimate companies? Who did the Scheme profit off? What did the scheme profit off? What source stated that the counterfeit operation  profited "off the backs of legitimate companies"? Who are the alleged leaders involved with the counterfeit operation? Which companies were involved? who led the counterfitting operation? Where do the threes Chinese citizens live? What kind of illegal operation was discovered? what number of items were counterfitted? Who called it one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered? What are the names of the three Chinese citizens who are living in New York, and are considered the alleged leaders of the counterfeit operation?are  living in New York? counterfeit what? Where are the chinese citizens living? What kind of operation? What did authorities call it? What are authorities saying? How many bags and wallets were involved? What sort of consumer goods were being illegally made? What kind of operation do authorities say it is one of the largest? Where do the leaders of the scheme live? Where did the leaders live? Who led the counterfeit operation? What did the official say? What did the scheme profit off of?
Three Chinese nationals Authorities three Chinese citizens The alleged leaders of the counterfeit operations are three Chinese citizens luxury handbags New York. 300,000 sophisticated criminal conspiracy Chong Lam, luxury handbags Three Chinese nationals the backs of legitimate companies and their hard-working employees," the backs of legitimate companies Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher. Joyce Chan, Burberry, Gucci three Chinese citizens New York. importing thousands of counterfeit luxury handbags 300,000 bags and wallets Authorities Joyce Chan, brand name luxury bags and wallets New York. counterfeit one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered, call it one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered, involving about 300,000 bags and wallets with names like Burberry, Gucci and Coach. 300,000 counterfeit luxury handbags counterfeit New York. New York. three Chinese citizens The Chinese defendants will be taken to Richmond, where they will be arraigned at a later date, the backs of legitimate companies and their hard-working employees,"
question: Who was responsible for the counterfeiting?, answer: Three Chinese nationals | question: Who called it one of the largest operations?, answer: Authorities | question: What was allegedly involved in the counterfeit operation., answer: three Chinese citizens | question: Who was living in New York?, answer: The alleged leaders of the counterfeit operations are three Chinese citizens | question: what items were counterfitted?, answer: luxury handbags | question: What city do the (alleged) leaders live in?, answer: New York. | question: What number of bags and wallets were involved?, answer: 300,000 | question: What are authorities calling it?, answer: sophisticated criminal conspiracy | question: Who are the leaders?, answer: Chong Lam, | question: What was being counterfeited?, answer: luxury handbags | question: Who profited off the backs of legitimate companies?, answer: Three Chinese nationals | question: Who did the Scheme profit off?, answer: the backs of legitimate companies and their hard-working employees," | question: What did the scheme profit off?, answer: the backs of legitimate companies | question: What source stated that the counterfeit operation  profited "off the backs of legitimate companies"?, answer: Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher. | question: Who are the alleged leaders involved with the counterfeit operation?, answer: Joyce Chan, | question: Which companies were involved?, answer: Burberry, Gucci | question: who led the counterfitting operation?, answer: three Chinese citizens | question: Where do the threes Chinese citizens live?, answer: New York. | question: What kind of illegal operation was discovered?, answer: importing thousands of counterfeit luxury handbags | question: what number of items were counterfitted?, answer: 300,000 bags and wallets | question: Who called it one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered?, answer: Authorities | question: What are the names of the three Chinese citizens who are living in New York, and are considered the alleged leaders of the counterfeit operation?are  living in New York?, answer: Joyce Chan, | question: counterfeit what?, answer: brand name luxury bags and wallets | question: Where are the chinese citizens living?, answer: New York. | question: What kind of operation?, answer: counterfeit | question: What did authorities call it?, answer: one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered, | question: What are authorities saying?, answer: call it one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered, involving about 300,000 bags and wallets with names like Burberry, Gucci and Coach. | question: How many bags and wallets were involved?, answer: 300,000 | question: What sort of consumer goods were being illegally made?, answer: counterfeit luxury handbags | question: What kind of operation do authorities say it is one of the largest?, answer: counterfeit | question: Where do the leaders of the scheme live?, answer: New York. | question: Where did the leaders live?, answer: New York. | question: Who led the counterfeit operation?, answer: three Chinese citizens | question: What did the official say?, answer: The Chinese defendants will be taken to Richmond, where they will be arraigned at a later date, | question: What did the scheme profit off of?, answer: the backs of legitimate companies and their hard-working employees,"