April 26, 2017
A New Jersey boardwalk shop owner was busted this week for allegedly selling toy guns that could easily be confused for real firearms, authorities said.
The Atlantic City Police Department announced Tuesday that 62 items were confiscated from a retail store on the boardwalk.
Officers were alerted to the prohibited merchandise around 10:45 a.m. during a routine patrol by a sign advertising the sale of BB guns inside Bags and Accessories located on the 1300 block of the boardwalk.
After an inspection, the officers determined the toys appeared too much like actual weapons. Although the items had an orange tip at the end of the gun barrel, the toys were the same size, weight and color as firearms.
"The orange tips are easily removable making the firearm appear to be real which could cause a potentially dangerous or fatal situation," the department warned.
In 2014, city lawmakers passed an ordinance barring the sale of imitation weapons for safety reasons.
The store owner, Naman Rafi, was issued a citation for selling the merchandise.
Anyone who witnesses stores selling these types of toys is urged to contact the Atlantic City Police Department Criminal Investigations Section at 609-347-5766.
