| Seized unsafe toy. |
Authorities in the New York area have seized a large cache of fake cell phones and two shipments of unsafe toys.
Three men were arrested and almost $2 million in counterfeit cell phones were seized by Department of Homeland Security investigators and Nassau County Police following a six month investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.
The investigation, which went by the code name “Operation Long Distance Haul,” was initiated after CBP officers discovered a shipment of fake Motorola, HTC and Casio cell phones shipped loose in cardboard boxes with no packaging. Agents subsequently conducted surveillance on two warehouses used to process the fake phones before moving in with warrants to seize 32,000 phones and safe deposit boxes with almost $500,000 in cash.
The three men have been charged with second degree trademark infringement and face up to four years in prison if convicted.
CBP said officers at the Port of New York and New Jersey on June 20 confiscated two shipments of toy water guns and action figures that contained excessive amounts of lead. CBP worked with the Consumer Production Safety Commission to identify the violations using risk-analysis techniques. – Eric Kulisch
