U.S. Customs agents announce largest seizure of hoverboards in Chicago


BENSENVILLE, Ill. -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the largest seizure of unsafe hoverboards in U.S. history today.

Border Protection officers say shortly after the beginning of the year they began to notice problematic hoverboards arriving in Chicago in ocean containers and air shipments.

They say the hoverboards were in danger of overheating, catching fire or exploding.

Inside a Bensenville warehouse, there are rows and rows of boxes containing more than 16,000 hoverboards worth about $10 million.

The gadgets became popular this past holiday season but quickly caught the attention of safety regulators as high profile videos of exploding boards went viral.

The devices seized largely come from East Asia or China, and don't conform to U.S. product safety standards.

Some even use counterfeit trademarks to dupe consumers and have potentially dangerous batteries.

Officials say the historic seizure is a good reminder that one of the most popular items on the market is potentially one of the most dangerous and it's a good idea to verify any hoverboard you buy comes from a reputable company.
