Car that doesn't meet standards is junked

PLUMSTED TOWNSHIP, N.J. - An imported Austin Mini that sells for more than $20,000 has been turned into scrap at a New Jersey junkyard because it did not meet U.S. highway safety standards.

The car that was scrapped Thursday at Price's Auto Recyclers was seized as part of an "Operation Atlantic" partnership between the United States and the United Kingdom to prevent such imports.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials are trying to prevent Minis and Land Rover Defenders that don't meet U.S. safety and emissions standards from entering the country. Minis and Land Rovers sold in the U.S. meet such regulations. The vehicles are seized from owners who thought they had followed proper procedures in importing the cars.