An attempt to smuggle fake airbags into the Ontario airport was foiled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on Tuesday.
CPB officers assigned to the Ontario International Airport discovered eight counterfeit Honda airbags inside of two express packages coming from China.
The packages were mislabeled as “plastic boards”, according to a news release from CBP.
“Protecting the health and safety of the American consumer is a top priority for CBP,” said Carlos C. Martel, director of field operations in Los Angeles. “Counterfeit airbags pose American motorists in extreme danger, they can fail to deploy or even hurt passengers during a collision.”
The release stated that airbag fraud happens after a vehicle that is involved in a wreck has its original airbags replaced. Consumers buying airbags from non-legitimate sources online and at a large discount could encounter these fake products.
“Airbags are essential car safety features and we know counterfeit devices are a major invisible threat already associated with fatalities in the United States,” said James Owens, the acting administrator of the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration. “As a safety agency, NHSTA takes these cases extremely seriously and we applaud CBP’s efforts to intercept dangerous products before they get into circulation. NHSTA values its partnership with CBP and this work is literally saving lives.”
Donald R. Kusser, the CBP port director overseeing the airport, said, “CBP commits substantial resources to detect, intercept and seize illicit goods arriving in the express package environment. Counterfeiters are constantly attempting to take advantage of consumers by disguising their illicit goods as legitimate shipments.”
To learn more about the dangers of purchasing counterfeit goods, visit FakeGoodsRealDangers.
If you have information or suspect fraud or illegal activity, you can report it to e-Allegations Online Trade Violation Reporting System or call 1-800-BE-ALERT.