Customs officials said Tuesday that officers assigned to Los Angeles International Airport, in tandem with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, have seized more than 1,000 replica firearms since the beginning of the current fiscal year.
U.S. Customs and Borders Protection said 953 replica firearms have already been destroyed, as well as 111 replica suppressors and 92 abandoned suppressors.
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CBP officials said the replica firearms, allegedly originating from China and arriving via air parcel, were "misdeclared" as alloy miniature toys.
"If these items were to reach the streets, the consequences could be significant," said Cheryl Davies, CBP director of field operations in Los Angeles.
"Replica firearms -- even though not always functional -- can be easily mistaken for genuine weapons by the public and law enforcement," Davies said. "Such misidentification can lead to tragic outcomes."
Federal law requires that toy guns, look-alike firearms and imitation firearms sold or transported across state lines have a blaze orange plug inserted in the barrel or a stripe on both sides of the barrel.
While federal law mandates the orange tip/stripe, California Penal Code 12556 addresses the display of imitation firearms in public, which can lead to criminal charges.
"CPSC is committed to working alongside U.S. Customs and Border Protection at ports and borders to prevent illegal products from entering the U.S. market, especially from China," CPSC Acting Chairman Peter Feldman said. "Now more than ever, we are grateful for this ongoing partnership between CPSC port inspectors and their CBP counterparts."
From fiscal year 2022 to date, CBP's Office of Field Operations has seized 2,890 replica firearms at America's ports of entry.
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