http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2010/04/taiwanese-toymaker-lands-contract/Taiwanese Toymaker Lands $7.4 Million Contract with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency
MIRsatz LLC, a wholely-owned subsidiary of ICH (I Chan Shivan) of Taiwan, today announced that it has secured a $7.4 million contract with the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBPA) to supply M4-type carbines for use by CBPA agents and personnel throughout the Unitied States. The multi-million-dollar arms contract is considered a major coup for MIRsatz, which was created just one month ago, following the February 26, 2010 seizure of 30 Airsoft pellet guns at the Port of Tacoma by U.S. Customs officials and ATF agents. The pellet guns were seized because U.S. officials believed they could easily be converted to fire high-pressure centerfire rifle cartridges. The pellet gun importer asserted that the toy arms were only capable of propelling small plastic pellets at less-than-lethal velocities, and that the toy guns would desintegrate if somehow an actual round could be chambered, but U.S. agents were unconvinced. “You couldn’t tell by weight or feel that the guns were fake”, according to ATF spokeswoman Cheryl Bishop, who added: “Most people would be hard-pressed to tell the difference, and that’s why we were so concerned. You could slide a magazine in there. They load and charge very realistically, very much like the real thing.” Over the protests of the toy gun importer, the pellet guns were seized and destroyed.
Following the Tacoma pellet gun seizures, ICH quickly launched MIRsatz LLC as an international trading partner qualified to compete for large foreign government arms contracts. MIRsatz submitted the winning bid on the massive U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency contract, to be funded by its parent agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. American CBPA officials jumped at the chance to acquire 7,000 MIRsatz carbines for half the cost of the next highest bidder, FNH of McLean, Virginia. In a statement issued by CBPA Assistant Director of Operations, Dee M. Witt, the CBPA declared: “This is a great day for the United States and a great day for the American taxpayer. Through the use of an open, commercial-style bidding process this Agency was able to acquire the arms it needs to secure America’s borders for a fraction of the cost the U.S. military pays for similar items.”
Taiwan’s ICH is a leading producer of childrens’ toys, stuffed animals, and Airsoft-type imitation firearms. Under license with MIRsatz, ICH will be producing the M4-type carbines for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency. MIRsatz LLC is headed by Lee Chan, the 14-year-old nephew of ICH founder Lon Chan. When asked to comment on MIRsatz’s successful bid for the CBPA contract, MIRsatz CEO Lee Chan said: “After the Tacoma thing, we saw an opportunity. We’ve never made real guns before, and honestly, Uncle Lon only knows how to build pellet guns, but if the ATF thinks Airsofts are genuine assault rifles, hey who are we to argue (laughing). That’s actually how I came up with the name for the company. Maybe It’s Real … MIR…