U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents based in Chicago announced Wednesday that they have seized more than 16,000 counterfeit hoverboards worth about $6 million if they were sold in the U.S.
The government has been on the lookout for counterfeit hoverboards after reports that substandard batteries in these products are prone to catch fire.
“This is a fine example of our Officers and Import Specialists ensuring that only safe and legal products enter the U.S.,” said Director of Field Operations William Ferrara. “Not only are these hoverboards a serious safety hazard but they also threaten our economic security by hurting legitimate businesses who invest significant amounts of resources into development and protection of their brands.”
Hoverboards are “self-balancing, two-wheeled, motorized platforms,” and CBP said they were a big Christmas gift last year.
CBP didn’t say where the thousands of hoverboards came from, but has seized fake versions of the popular product for weeks, and has said some have come from China and Japan.
Counterfeit hoverboards made the top 10 list of most seized items at the border in 2015. Other top items were cocaine inside fried fish, “drugs shaped like watermelons,” and illegal tamales.
