Smuggled toys crushed by French authorities

French customs authorities have destroyed tens of thousands of smuggled toys - just days before... euronews, the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe for your daily dose of international news, curated and explained:http://eurone.ws/10ZCK4a Euronews is available in 13 other languages: http://eurone.ws/17moBCU http://www.euronews.com/2013/12/20/smuggled-toys-crushed-by-french-authorities French customs authorities have destroyed tens of thousands of smuggled toys - just days before Christmas. Officials say the items - mainly soft toys - came into Europe illegally from China and were deemed to be unsafe. The 25,000 toys were seized in the autumn and were part of an annual surge in the run-up to Christmas. "We're vigilant about toys throughout the year  but from the end of August, because imports ofChristmas toys start at the end of August, we  are extra vigilant and we strengthen our  controls into December," said Caroline de Saussure, a customs inspector. Two trucks full of toys were emptied into a  giant disposal unit at a depot outside of Paris, before a giant crane lifted them to an  incinerator to be destroyed. The toys were seized following an investigation. According to officials, they entered Europe from China through Belgium. The toys were said to be destined for street  Find us on: Youtube http://bit.ly/zr3upY Facebook http://www.facebook.com/euronews.fans Twitter http://twitter.com/euronews