A further cache of counterfeit Labubu dolls have been discovered in a series of raids across Blackpool, with one seafront trader reported to have had £7,000 worth of stock seized by the council’s Trading Standards team.
One month after a series of high profile raids in Scotland which saw Trading Standards officers seize thousands of counterfeit Labubu dolls, officers from Blackpool Council have undertaken a similar series of confiscations across the city.
More than £7,000 worth of the “unsafe and potentially dangerous” toys were taken from a number of independent arcade sites on the Fylde coast, with industry insiders urging operators to be more vigilant at a crucial time for the sector.
“The dolls pose ‘significant safety risks,’ including detachable parts that could be a choking hazard to children,” reported the BBC. “The council said it had seen a rise in counterfeit versions of the popular toy, which can also pose a potential exposure to harmful chemicals.”
“The collectible dolls, from Chinese toy maker Pop Mart, have become hugely popular with children and teenagers in recent years, after launching in 2015. Blackpool Council warned that such counterfeit items circumvent product safety standards making them ‘unsafe and potentially dangerous.’”
Reporting on the raids, Blackpool Business News wrote the topic of counterfeit toys is “a crucial one for every business owner in our town.”
“We’ve received reports from a local trader who had £7,000 worth of “Labubu dolls” seized by trading standards, with similar actions reportedly affecting other independent shops.”
Speaking to Coinslot, one source close to the subject, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “This can only have a hugely negative impact for our industry at a time when we are trying to present ourselves in the best possible light.”
“At a time when serious discussions are taking place with Government around the proposed white paper and the industry presenting itself as being responsible, nothing could be further from that when arcades are openly and recklessly offering untested and dangerous counterfeit Labubu products.”
After the raids in Scotland last month, North Ayrshire councillor Alan Hill called on retailers and amusement operators to remain vigilant.
“It might look like a good deal, but these dolls are usually really poor quality and made with inferior materials and are not made to last at all. Not only that, they could also cause a serious accident to young people.”
“It’s a national issue”: More Labubu raids in Norfolk and London
Several raids across the UK have revealed a network of suppliers and retailers stocking counterfeit Labubu dolls, with Norfolk County Council’s Trading Standards team seizing 2,000 in the last week alone.
The fakes, which do not meet safety standards and can contain banned chemicals, were discovered in Great Yarmouth, Hunstanton, Norwich and Thetford, and are part of a flood of knock-offs entering the market.
“Counterfeiting is the second largest source of criminal income worldwide, second only to drug trafficking,” deputy director of intelligence and law enforcement at the Intellectual Property Office, Kate Caffery, told the BBC.
“It’s 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 concerns.”
More than 1,750 fake Labubu dolls were uncovered in Great Yarmouth, with trading standards officers able to trace the supply chain back to warehouses on the outskirts of London.
“These were going everywhere,” said Rhys Harries, Trading Standards team leader at Swansea City Council, one of the authorities leading the investigation.
“There were invoice books with them and they were going all across the UK. It’s a national issue.”
