Feds Seize 36,000 Toy Airplanes At Minnesota-Canada Border

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, MN — A rail container consisting of 36,000 allegedly unlicensed toy airplanes was sized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers before it was imported into the country this month. The seizure was made at the International Falls Port of Entry in Minnesota.

Examination of the toy planes led officers to further investigate the required licenses and trademarks. After reaching out to the trademark holders, feds determined that "neither the importer, nor the manufacturer were licensed to display trademarks or manufacture the merchandise in question."

The airplanes are made out of die-cast metal, the packaging states. CBP seized the "counterfeit" toys, estimating them to be worth more than $575,000 at retail.

“CBP remains focused on enforcing the importation of counterfeit products while facilitating the lawful importation of merchandise,” Anthony Jackson, the port director in International Falls, said in a news release. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Minnesota Patch, click here to find your local Minnesota Patch. Also, follow us on Facebook, and if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Stopping the flow of illicit goods is a priority trade issue for CBP, the agency said, noting that the importation of counterfeit merchandise can damage the U.S. economy and threaten the health and safety of American citizens:

With the growth of foreign trade, unscrupulous companies have profited billions of dollars from the sale of counterfeit and pirated goods.

Image via U.S. Customs and Border Protection