The CBIC on Saturday said the customs department is closely monitoring the import of toys and continuously tackling newer modus operandi adopted to circumvent the quality control and safety norms.

The government earlier this week said 18,600 toys have been seized in the last month from major retail stores, including Hamleys and Archies and those at airports and malls across India, for lack of BIS quality marks and use of fake licences.

In a tweet, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said the customs department is engaged with both the BIS and the DGFT (Directorate-General of Foreign Trade) to thwart attempts at circumventing safety checks.

It said newer modus operandi adopted to circumvent the BIS restrictions by way of imports of parts of toys, staggered import of such parts through different ports, and misdeclaration of toys and their parts as entirely different items is being “continuously tackled”.

“Indian Customs has been closely monitoring and addressing the problem of import of toys which do not meet BIS standards,” the CBIC tweeted