TikTok’s Labubu craze gone rogue as fake toys flooded markets

TikTok’s Labubu craze has morphed into the counterfeit boom as thousands of fake Labubu dolls worth millions of pounds have been seized at an industrial estate on the outskirts of London in the raid led by Trading Standards and law enforcement agencies.

The operation, which followed weeks of intelligence, was successful in tracing the fake merchandise from a corner shop in south Wales to a warehouse complex in London.

During the crackdown, the officers found the stacks of the fake mischievous-looking dolls. “The head comes off. The feet pull off. The eyes are not glued in. These are clear choking hazards,” said Rhys Harries, a Trading Standards officer, while examining one of the seized dolls.

Moreover, Border Force has also seized hundreds of thousands from UK ports, leading to the counterfeit boom in the market.

The popularity of Labubu dolls

According to Forbes, the growing popularity of these dolls has helped parent company Pop Mart amass more than double its total revenue, reaching £1.33bn ($1.81bn) last year.

The Pop Mart has claimed that soaring global hype of Labubu dolls is expected to spur 350 percent profit bonanza.

The choking hazard

The parents are showing the concerns regarding the health hazards posed by the fake dolls named as Lafufus.

The one parent told BBC that “she 100 percent agreed the fakes are a choking hazard after some fell apart shortly after giving them to her son.”

Counterfeiting: A bonanza for criminals

According to the Intellectual Property Office, the criminals are using the life-threatening materials in the fake Labubu toys to capitalize on the profit margins,

“Counterfeiting is the second largest source of criminal income worldwide, second only to drug trafficking,” said Kate Caffery, deputy director of intelligence and law enforcement.

Kate continued: “It is in the interests of these criminal organisations to respond quickly to trends to maximise it, to get on the back of it and make the most money that they possibly can. So that’s why we see it happening so quickly and a complete disregard for safety.”

The inferior materials used in the fake toys range from toxic plastics, chemicals, and low-grade small parts.