The operation is the second in two years and brings the number of counterfeit toys seized by authorities to almost 17m, most of them from China.
bUt It Is cHeAp.
this post was submitted on 28 Nov 2025
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Oh, so it's about licensing, that makes sense.
Oh, no, it's also about toxic and unsafe products that threaten people's health because they are offered by retailers that violate any safety and consumer regulation. This is why they have no license.
As Interpol says,
Counterfeit toys pose a significant risk to children, as they may contain hazardous materials and chemicals that can be toxic to children, and their poor build quality can lead to accidents and injuries.
Oh, that's great to read, I love regulation!
(No sarcasm.)
And excuse my cynicism, when I hear counterfeit products I automatically think of products from the same-ish or even literally the same production line but without the extra profit margins (and hence the big incentive to hunt them down). Even in the latter case that does usually mean lacking documentation (and without even the little responsibility a local company could have faced - it's not like they perform meaningful tests on a product throughout it's lifetime, it's not like food safety).
It's clear that in order to lower costs all toys without a flaired bottom must be seized by the Europol.
Nice, fuck the poor children. /s for those that need it