Customs & Border Protection Warns Shoppers To Be Diligent While Shopping For Toys Online This Holiday Season
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Officials want to remind consumers to be extra diligent while shopping online this holiday season after Baltimore Customs and Border Protection officers seized a shipment of toys coated in unsafe levels of lead, cadmium and barium.
Officials said that the toys were initially inspected on July 16 and included seven boxes with 295 packages from China. The contents included Lagori 7 Stones, a popular children's game in India.
The shipment was detained on Aug. 24 and nine samples were sent to the lab for analysis. Lab results revealed that the toys were coated in lead, cadmium and barium that exceeded safe levels for consumer products. As a result, the remaining shipment was also seized on Oct. 4.
Officials said the toys were destined to an address in Fairfax County, Virginia.
"The health and safety of our nation's children remains a priority concern for Customs and Border Protection, CPSC and all of our consumer safety partners," said Adam Rottman, CBP's Area Port Director for the Area Port of Baltimore. "We hope that seizures like this helps to raise consumer awareness about the very real threats posed by seemingly safe children's toys and we urge consumers to conduct their due diligence when purchasing holiday gifts online this year."