Canadian border guards and the RCMP have intercepted a $2.5-million shipment of fake fashion accessories on the way to the streets of Montreal all the way from China.

Inspectors with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) examined a container that was supposed to be carrying furniture when it arrived at the Port of Vancouver.

But it looked as if there was more than furniture in the container when it was X-rayed, so they shipped it to the RCMP in Montreal.

"Here in Montreal, we proceeded with a search of the container, and found 4,600 suspected counterfeit items," said CBSA spokeswoman Amélie Morin.

She said most of the items were knock-offs of designer handbags and men's belts.

RCMP spokesman Luc Bessette said that in the last three years the two agencies have intercepted more than $22 million worth of fake designer goods.

He said it's important to get to it before the material hits the streets.

"It's much harder to go after people once it's starting to get distributed through the internet or flea markets, or on the streets. It's hard to go back."

Bessette said the quality of this shipment of fakes was so good the RCMP had to call in company experts to make sure they weren't the real thing.

RCMP and CBSA officers searched the residence of the alleged furniture importer on Nuns Island in Verdun. They recovered a small number of counterfeit items — mainly handbags — and records related not only to this shipment but to other planned shipments as well, according to a press release on the RCMP website.

The CBSA is expected to file smuggling charges against the suspect under the Customs Act. RCMP investigators could also charge the importer under the Copyright Act.