An undercover sting led to a major fake airbag bust on Thursday in the Gulfton area of southwest Houston.
Houston police and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at the business on Atwell. Six people were arrested.
Eyewitness News was given extraordinary access.
Investigators say the business, Chavez Safety Airbags, was making fake airbags and reusing the parts of old ones, putting lives at risk.
Working on a tip from the auto industry, HSI special agents say they set up an undercover operation. One agent pretended to be a buyer, and the seller allegedly admitted to having fakes. Closer inspection on Thursday verified it.
“A lot of shrapnel, if it explodes, can hit someone in the face,” one undercover agent said as he showed ABC13 the fake product.
A demonstration posted online by the National Transportation Safety Administration shows how dangerous a fake airbag can be. A real one can save a life. A fake one can kill.
“There can be catastrophic consequences to a faulty airbag,” Roshelle Salinas, who is the Executive Vice President of the Houston Automobile Dealers Association, said. “To hear about this is extremely concerning because safety is our number one concern in any vehicle and the way they’re made.”