Dangerous toys seized in Madrid

HUNDREDS of thousands of dangerous toys were seized in Madrid by the police.

In a massive operation launched in the Spanish capital called ‘black toys,’ law enforcement officials seized 224,341 toys included in the alert network by the Health, Social Policy and Equality Ministry and deemed dangerous because they pose a serious health risk to children.

Police conducted searches in 16 stores and also seized 16,870 articles for violating industrial property legislation and 104,340 fireworks. Six people were brought up on charges.

The operation was launched after police detected a large number of suspicious items being sold by street vendors and stores on Plaza Mayor and Plaza del Celenque. The government had reportedly banned the sale and import of some of them.

According to Economy and Taxes Councillor in Madrid Enrique Ossorio, Madrid is the Spanish autonomous community with the largest number of reported cases of dangerous products.

“Toys that do not bear the CE marking cannot be sold in the European Union. So we advise people against buying them because they could be dangerous,” said Ossorio.

If consumers decide to make their purchases online, they should make sure the information regarding stores’ tax identification number and registered office is also available, as well as their email, to make contacting it easier, he recommended.

Chief of Police Ignacio Cosido said operations like these are crucial because they allow law enforcement officials to pull off the market products that jeopardise consumers’ health or safety, especially children’s.