They are the mischievous plush dolls which have become the indisputable trend of 2025.
But the seemingly innocent Labubu dolls – popularised by Rihanna, Dua Lipa and even David Beckham – have triggered a devastating butterfly effect which has thrown Britain’s borders into chaos.
For behind the devilish yet oddly charming grin of these rabbit-eared creatures, there is a rumbling underbelly of organised crime – fuelled by an explosion of counterfeit knockoffs being shipped to Britain from across the world.
From the UK’s biggest cities to the valleys of Pontypridd – these criminals began targeting every pocket of the country within days of the legitimate Pop Mart toys going viral.
Hundreds of thousands of fake Labubus, dubbed ‘Lafufus’, have been seized by UK Border Force officials already this year – as criminals attempt to smuggle the knockoffs in fast parcels and via air cargo from countries such as China, Hong Kong and Turkey.
Government officials told the Mail e-commerce platforms such as Amazon are ‘playing a game of whack-a-mole’ with rogue vendors who simply set up new seller accounts within hours of being shut down.
Meanwhile, a former Scotland Yard detective who leads ‘Britain’s first private police force’ warned how counterfeiting funds organised crime, human trafficking and terrorism.
Despite Border Force being on high alert, tens of thousands of these smirking goblin toys slipped through the net in the last month alone. And once they reach the UK, experts say they quickly enter illegal distribution networks, being flogged in physical shops such as pop up stores- with the funds ending up in the hands of criminals.
‘We have evidence that there’s an established link between counterfeiting and other forms of serious criminal activity that these gangs are known to be involved in,’ one official told the Mail.
Genuine Labubu dolls (left) from Pop Mart have a distinctive elf-like design and include authenticity markers. On the right is a fake Labubu where an eye fell out
Rihanna pictured with a pink Labubu doll attached as a charm on her Louis Vuitton handbag
Kim Kardashian and her daughter North West spotted with a Labubu doll attached to a handbag
Legitimate Labubus (pictured) are sold by Pop Mart and have soared in popularity
‘Gangs, money laundering, benefit fraud, all sorts of things that people would recognise as serious crime. The level of organisation and pre-meditation it involves makes it organised crime.
‘It is recognised as a gateway, which could be used for seed funding in other things within organised crime groups.’
The sale of counterfeit products can also cost legitimate retailers millions, ripping cash out of Britain’s economy.
One expert told us: ‘Every time any counterfeit item is sold, that’s money taken away from legitimate traders and into the hands of crooks.’
David McKelvey, the founder of private police force TM Eye, told the Mail: ‘There’s direct links all the way through. It funds organised crime, it funds terrorism, and obviously, it significantly impacts on human trafficking and slavery when you’ve got children as young as eight sleeping under sewing machines in appalling conditions.
‘It’s criminality, and the problem is, it’s one of those crimes that the police and the authorities aren’t really interested in.
‘You can stand in a field and sell fake goods on a Saturday and you can earn yourself anywhere between £5,000 and £20,000. If you were to stand in the field selling crack cocaine, you get caught. It’s high reward, low risk and lots of people are engaged in it.’
He said markets in areas such as Camden, north London, ‘Counterfeit Street’ in Manchester and Wellesbourne Market, West Midlands, have long been rife for it, but many have made the shift online where it is harder to crackdown.
Mr McKelvey, who said TM Eye prosecute 80 per cent of all counterfeit offences in the UK, added: ‘Whatever the latest fad is, whatever the latest designer clothing, bag, shoes, toy, they will have fakes and copies out within days.
Parents are being warned about fakes being sold illegally by third-party sellers online and inside local shops
A fake Labubu with its dodgy feet and eye that have came off – posing a choking hazard for children
Another obvious sign is spelling mistakes. Instead of ‘The Monsters’, it says ‘The Monstebs’
Hundreds of thousands of fake Labubus have been seized by Border Force (pictured) in the last month
Another stash of fake Labubus intercepted by Border Force before they entered the black market
‘They fake everything you can think of and its primarily China or Turkey.’
Mr McKelvey described how counterfeit criminals jump on trends and start instantly manufacturing in factories. The counterfeit products are then shipped to the UK via planes or shipping containers before a middleman collects them at the port and takes it to a storage unit.
The fake goods are then distributed across the country to spread out the risk.
The scourge of fake Labubus is being felt around the country. Recently, Trading Standards have seized keyrings and boxes of Labubus in every corner of the UK – from Pontypridd in Wales, Holyhead and Ayrshire, in Scotland, Lancashire and big cities including London.
In July, North Tyneside Council seized more than 2,000 fake dolls from over 13 retailers in just three weeks.
The council is one of many local authorities to issue a warning over the dangers of the toys as they contain small parts that easily detach, pose a serious choking hazard to young children and fail to meet essential toy safety legislation.
The traders have been handed formal written warnings and could face prosecution if they continue.
Councillor Sandra Graham, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Climate Emergency, said: ‘We’ve seen a worrying rise in counterfeit Labubu dolls being sold locally.
K-pop star Lisa helped to popularize Labubus, dangling the goblin figures from her Louis Vuitton handbag
Japanese tennis ace Naomi Osaka collects bedazzled Labubus. She named one of them Billie Jean Bling and another Althea Glitterson (pictured)
These counterfeit Labubu dolls were seized in Blackpool in July
Rows of fake Labubus in boxes in shops in the UK – costing legitimate retailers millions
‘These products, which are becoming increasingly popular due to their low price and wide availability, do not meet UK toy safety regulations and could be dangerous, particularly for young children. We urge parents to report any suspicious items to our Trading Standards team.’
Meanwhile, in Bexley, south-east London, officials seized more than 1,000 Labubus and 128 other unsafe toys from just two shops this month amid growing concerns over toy safety.
One of the dolls was found to be dangerously fragile – with a single squeeze causing its eye to pop out.
And in Westminster, 100 dolls were seized by officers, many of which had eyes and feet that easily fell out.
They were on sale for shops in Brewer Street and Oxford Street, in central London, for around £20.
Westminster City Council leader Adam Hug said: ‘There is a long history of counterfeiters trying to make a quick profit from the fad toy of the moment, but the Labubu fakes we found could prove a costly error.’
Labubus have quickly entered Britain’s supply chain through the world of online shopping as well as in physical shops.
It could be that the customer orders their ‘Labubu’ on Amazon, only to be scammed by a fake one which arrives in a fast parcel via air cargo from Asia.
Officials say these fake dolls could also be shipped en masse via a metal cargo shop which is harder to seize.
While they are also flooding the market in fast parcels – where the customer has paid a premium to have the item tracked and sent quicker. Fast parcels differ from other ‘postal packets’ which are usually delivered by a public postal service such as the Royal Mail.
The dolls (pictured) have previously caused fights and five-hour long queues outside stores
In 2020, the global parcels market was valued in excess of £200billion and the UK was one of the fastest growing markets, according to a Border Force report in 2023.
But once they get into the UK, it becomes even harder. Raids are being launched to crackdown on illegal sellers but it can often be too late.
These criminals respond very quickly to the current trend, whether it’s flogging fake football shirts during a World Cup or cashing in on children’s toys during a surge in popularity.
Kate Caffery, deputy director of intelligence and law enforcement at the Intellectual Property Office, said: ‘Counterfeiting is both a local and global threat and the criminals involved know no boundaries.
‘We’re seeing criminals increasingly exploit viral trends such as Labubu Dolls, with counterfeit versions of popular products appearing within days of them going viral.
‘These counterfeits are unlikely to have undergone the rigorous safety testing required for genuine products and can pose serious safety risks.
Singer Cher took her Labubu for a night out at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June
Berlin shoppers line up outside the country’s first Labubu store for its grand opening in July
Another pair of fake Labubus found as councils desperately try to crack down on counterfeits
‘Children’s safety must always come first, and we encourage parents to always research products thoroughly and only purchase from trusted sources.’
The grinning toys have been inspired by the illustrated book series The Monsters, created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, in which Labubus are a tribe of female elves.
They have become the must-have item for thousands of young adults, teens and children.
A major part of the appeal is that buying one is a bit of a gamble as many of them come in ‘blind boxes’ – meaning customers don’t know which colour Labubu they have until they open it.
Some are rarer than others or more sought after and there are ‘surprise’ editions which are even harder to come by.
Pop mart, the makers of the dolls, reported a near 400 per cent increase in profits in its first half of this year after demand soared. Sales tripled to 13.bn yuan (£1.4bn) while net profit soared to 4.6bn yuan (£474m) during the first six months of the year.
Around 40 per cent of sales are said to have come from outside China, highlighting the huge demand.
Many people queue up outside Pop Mart locations for up to five hours on days they are releasing a new series of dolls just to get their hands on one or resell them on for a higher price.
In May, a mass brawl broke out between a group of shoppers who were trying to get their hands on the viral Labubu toys.
Shocking footage shared on social media showed several men hurling punches at one another as security guards and others desperately tried to separate them.
The group had supposedly been trying to purchase some Labubu dolls at a Pop Mart store in Stratford’s Westfield shopping centre when the chaos erupted.
