Labubu dolls made up 90% of pretend toys seized at UK border | EUROtoday

Labubu dolls made up 90% of the £3.5m price of pretend toys seized on the UK border up to now this 12 months, in keeping with Home Office knowledge.

Labubu is a unusual monster character created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, and popularised by means of a collaboration with toy retailer Pop Mart.

Although they’re primarily marketed as grownup collectibles and vogue equipment, with some even stating they’re solely appropriate for these over 15 on the field, they’re very talked-about with younger folks and youngsters.

But almost three in 4 seized toys failed security assessments, with the “dangerous fakes” being discovered with dangerous chemical compounds or choking hazards in keeping with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).

A brand new marketing campaign from the IPO referred to as Fake Toys, Real Harms is aiming to spotlight the hazards of shopping for counterfeit gadgets.

The IPO discovered seven in ten faux toy patrons are motivated by value, and simply 27% cited security as a purchase order consideration.

Rare editions of actual Labubus can can promote for tons of of kilos on resale websites.

Demand for the restricted toys turned so nice that Pop Mart paused gross sales in all its 16 UK retailers in May following reviews of consumers preventing over them. The toys are actually bought by means of a web based lottery system.

Of the 259,000 faux toys seized by the IPO in 2025, 236,000 have been counterfeit Labubus.

Nearly half of people that bought faux toys reported issues, the federal government physique additionally discovered.

Issues vary from toys breaking virtually immediately to unsafe labelling, poisonous smells and even reviews of sickness in youngsters.

The IPO’s deputy director of enforcement, Helen Barnham mentioned: “These products have bypassed every safety check the law requires, which is why we’re working with our partners to keep these dangerous fakes out of UK homes.”

She added: “Child safety must come first, so we’re urging parents – please don’t let your child be the tester.”

The IPO pressured that consultants are warning the Labubu development “is just the tip of the iceberg.”

It warned that counterfeiting criminals goal a variety of widespread toys and it is vital to be vigilant and conscious of what you’re buying.