HARRISBURG, Pa. — When it comes to counterfeit toymakers, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's policy is clearly that "You Gotta Catch Em All."
The agency announced Friday that its officers seized more than 86,000 counterfeit Pokemon action figures while examining a shipment from Hong Kong on May 4.
Had they been authentic, the toys would have had a manufacturer's suggested retail price of nearly $604,000, the CBP said.
During an examinatinon of the shipment in Harrisburg, the CBP said, officers found a group of 15 boxes under the manifest "plastic furnishing articles. The boxes actually contained 86,400 Pokemon action figures, the CBP asid.
Working with the trademark holder, CBP said, its officers confirmed that the figurines were counterfeit. CBP import specialists appraised the shipment at $603,936.
Officers seized the shipment for violating U.S. intellectual property rights, according to the CBP.
The parcel was destined to an address in Snyder County, the CBP said.
The CBP said the figurines are small and pose a potential choking hazard to children. Additionally, the CBP said, counterfeit toys tend to be coated in excessive levels of lead paint.
“In addition to protecting the trademark holder’s intellectual property rights, Customs and Border Protection’s primary concern with counterfeit consumer goods is the potential harm they can cause to American consumers, such as the choking hazard these figurines pose to children,” said Michelle Stover, CBP’s Port Director for the Port of Harrisburg. “CBP officers remain committed to working with our consumer safety partners to protect American consumers by seizing dangerous counterfeit goods at our nation’s ports of entry.”
