Counterfeit Labubu Dolls Flood UK Market, Fueling Crime and Safety Concerns

Hundreds of thousands of counterfeit Labubu dolls have entered or been intercepted en route to the United Kingdom this year, officials and local authorities say, as organised crime groups exploit the craze for the collectible toys and undercut legitimate retailers.

UK Border Force and local trading standards teams have seized large consignments of fakes — often shipped from parts of Asia and Turkey — and councils across Britain have removed thousands from sale in shops and markets amid concerns about toy safety and broader criminality. Retailers and enforcement agencies say the counterfeiters are moving quickly, selling the knockoffs online and through pop-up stalls and market traders.

Authorities describe a multi-channel smuggling and distribution network. Enforcement teams say counterfeit toys are arriving in fast parcels transported by air cargo, in commercial shipping containers and in metal cargo shipments that are harder to inspect. Once in the country, middlemen collect consignments from ports and move them to storage units before the products are distributed across the UK.

The scale of the problem has prompted a series of local enforcement actions. North Tyneside Council said it seized more than 2,000 fake dolls from over a dozen retailers in a three-week period in July. Bexley Council reported the seizure of more than 1,000 counterfeit Labubus and another 128 unsafe toys from two shops, and Westminster officers seized around 100 dolls from stores in central London. Trading standards teams have also reported finds in Pontypridd, Holyhead, Ayrshire, Lancashire and other locations.

Councils and trading standards officials have warned that many of the knockoffs do not meet required safety standards and can present choking hazards. Inspectors have reported toys whose eyes and small parts detach easily; in one case, a doll’s eye fell out after a single squeeze. Officials also point to poor printing and misspellings on packaging as signs of fraud.

Enforcement agencies say the counterfeit flows are harming legitimate businesses and complicating efforts to police other forms of serious crime. David McKelvey, founder of private policing firm TM Eye, told reporters that counterfeiting funds organised crime and is a low-risk, high-reward venture for criminals who can earn thousands of pounds from weekend sales or online trading. He said counterfeit trade is linked to money laundering, human trafficking and other offences.

"There's direct links all the way through. It funds organised crime, it funds terrorism," McKelvey said, adding that counterfeit production often involves unregulated factories. Officials from the Intellectual Property Office warned that counterfeiters exploit viral trends, rapidly producing lookalikes when a product — in this case the Labubu dolls made by Pop Mart — spikes in popularity.

Kate Caffery, deputy director of intelligence and law enforcement at the IPO, said counterfeit versions of popular products can appear within days of items going viral and are unlikely to have undergone required safety testing. She urged consumers to buy from known, reputable sellers.

Pop Mart, the Hong Kong-based maker of the original Labubu figures, has seen sales surge in recent months as demand spread globally. The company reported significant growth in the first half of the year, with sales rising sharply and net profit increasing, a trend the company attributed to strong demand outside China. The collectible format — many toys are sold in "blind boxes" so buyers do not know which variant they will receive — and celebrity exposure have driven intense consumer interest, with long queues reported outside store openings and episodes of disorder at product releases.

Retailers and trade groups say counterfeiting siphons money from legitimate traders and can cost businesses millions. Enforcement officials said online marketplaces face a continuing challenge from rogue vendors who set up new seller accounts after being removed, which complicates takedown efforts and enforcement. Government sources described the response as a "whack-a-mole" problem for e-commerce platforms.

Local authorities have not only focused on seizures but also on prosecutions and retailer warnings. In some cases traders have received formal written notices and face potential prosecution if they continue to sell counterfeit toys. Councils have also urged parents to report suspicious products and to check toy markings and safety information before purchasing.

The counterfeit trade has prompted broader calls for coordinated action. Border Force has placed parcels and cargo inspections on higher alert as the parcels market continues to grow, and trading standards teams said increased resource pressures complicate efforts to keep pace with fast-moving trends. Industry analysts and enforcement officials said tackling the counterfeit supply chain requires cooperation between customs, police, trading standards and online marketplace operators.

While the surge in interest for Labubu dolls has generated rapid profits for manufacturers, it has also revealed vulnerabilities in global supply chains and digital marketplaces that counterfeiters can exploit. Regulators say maintaining consumer safety and protecting legitimate businesses will require sustained enforcement, better online account monitoring by platforms and public awareness of the risks associated with buying from unverified sellers.