Customs officers seize $85,824 worth of counterfeit Barbies

Sept. 29 (UPI) -- A shipment of counterfeit Barbie dolls being shipped in a rail container from Canada was intercepted at a Minnesota border crossing, customs officials said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said officers with the Office of Field Operations inspected a rail container at the International Falls Port of Entry and discovered it contained 3,004 toys that initially appeared to be Barbie dolls manufactured by Mattel.

A closer examination determined the dolls were piratical copies that violated Mattel's intellectual property. The counterfeit toys had a total suggested retail price of $85,824.

"CBP continues to play a key role in Intellectual Property Rights enforcement," said Anthony Jackson, International Falls Port director. "CBP continues to stay focused on combating the illegitimate trade in counterfeit products."