In a significant operation in London, Trading Standard Officers, aided by the Met Police, seized counterfeit toys valued between £6 million and £10 million. Following earlier seizures in Swansea, investigations traced the origins of these unsafe products to four toy warehouses in Southall. The counterfeit items, branded with popular names like Pokemon and Marvel, posed serious health risks due to the inclusion of banned chemicals like Phthalates. The operation underscores the importance of vigilance during peak shopping seasons, especially around Christmas when counterfeit goods often flood the market, endangering the health of families and children.
It comes following a counterfeit toy seizure that took place in Swansea during the Christmas period last year when thousands of toys were recovered from pop-up shops in the city centre.
The latest seizure is the result of detailed investigations around the sources of counterfeit toys that we discovered being sold in Swansea.
In terms of the large number of dangerous and counterfeit goods we have seized, I have no doubt that all of these were destined for the high streets of many of the UK's towns and cities.
Christmas can be a popular time for businesses to quickly set up in vacant premises and distribute unsafe, counterfeit toys to families looking for a bargain.
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