Hong Kong customs has seized 700 sets of catapult and tangram toys and issued a prohibition notice after safety tests revealed injury and choking hazards for children. The Customs and Excise Department urged parents and retailers to stop using or selling the products immediately.
The Customs and Excise Department announced the action on Saturday following tests on toys purchased at Chinese New Year fairs. The catapult toy's projectile carried enough kinetic energy to injure a child's eyes or face and lacked required protective material. The tangram set included small parts that could cause suffocation if swallowed.
Neither product had the mandatory warning labels or identification markings required under the Toys and Children's Products Safety Ordinance. A department spokesman said parents should immediately stop letting children play with the items and that traders must remove them from shelves.
The seizure of 700 units came during a targeted operation to enforce safety standards in the market.
