Snap raid: French customs destroy 14,000 ‘dangerous’ blow-up crocs

PARIS – French customs officials on Thursday destroyed 14,000 inflatable crocodiles shipped from Hong Kong because they did not conform to EU safety regulations.

The blow-up crocs had a host of problems, officials at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport explained.

The packaging said the toys were suitable for children under three weighing less than 45 kilos (99 pounds) but the instructions on the crocodiles themselves said kids up to six years and 80 kilos could climb on board.

“Customs officials monitor inflatable objects very closely because they are very dangerous,” a spokeswoman said, adding that they were especially vigilant during the summer holidays.