Greater than £3.5m value of pretend toys have been seized on the border to this point this 12 months, officers have stated, with 9 in ten being duplicates of a viral doll.
The Mental Property Workplace (IPO) stated 259,000 pretend toys have been intercepted.
Of that quantity, 75% failed important security exams, and 90% – or 236,000 of the gadgets – have been Labubu dolls.
It marks the newest seizure of pretend variations of Labubu dolls, which have surged in recognition this 12 months after going viral on social media.
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9 in ten of the toys seized have been pretend Labubu dolls.
Pic: IPO / PA
Labubus are Chinese language-made cheeky-looking, sharp-toothed tender toys resembling a bear, that may be fixed to luggage.
Earlier this month, 100 pretend Labubu dolls – dubbed Lafufus – have been seized in raids on two west London outlets after they have been discovered to pose a probably deadly choking hazard for kids.
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Pic: IPO / PA
In an announcement on Thursday, IPO deputy director of enforcement Helen Barnham stated that “with counterfeit toys, what you see is rarely what you get”.
She added: “Behind the packaging may be hidden choking hazards, poisonous chemical compounds and defective elements that put youngsters in actual hazard.
“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.”
A ballot for the IPO additionally discovered that whereas 92% of toy patrons are conscious of counterfeit items, most are extra involved with saving cash relatively than contemplating security.
Seven in ten prioritised price when shopping for toys, whereas 27% stated security was an element.
