Miami Becoming the Island of Misfit Toys
Thousands of fake and dangerous toys have been seized at Port Everglades and the Port of Miami
AP
A Fisher Price toy waits on the shelf for a shopper looking for bargains Target in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.
South Florida is where all naughty toys come to be sold.
Sure, Miami is full of naughty little girls and boys, but local customs agents are making sure misfit toys don't find a home in their hands.
The feds recently blocked a shipment of counterfeit and potentially dangerous toys and accessories that were shipped to local ports and could end up on store shelves. Among the toys were toy guns that looked stunningly real, toy lighters that could actually spark a blaze and toys that contain lead paint.
Officials also singled out MP3 players, dolls and backpacks that broke intellectual property laws, surge protectors with shoddy
wiring, and a black toy gun that carries no markings to indicate it is fake.
"Now obviously, it's not functional as a firearm," said Harold Woodward, director of the agency's field operations in Miami. "However, if in the wrong hands, if in the wrong situation, if this weapon was pointed at any one of us or used in the perpetuation of a crime ... any commonsense individual would say, this is probably a real weapon."
Think of the local ports as Canal Street in New York where you can buy a Gucci purse for $15 or two for $25. Chances are it's fake.
But the counterfeit toys are harder to spot, customs officials said. It's not as easy as someone trying to shop you a Wii game system for $40. You should know that is going to blow up.
Many of the shipments are from China and are in violation of safety guidelines like the lead paint prohibition or toys that contain parts so small a child could choke on them.
Last year, 3,500 items from toy shipments were caught before becoming stocking stuffers.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC 6 Miami
Posted Monday, Dec 21, 2009 - 2:30 PM EST
