Shanghai police bust gang selling counterfeit Labubu toys
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Made by Beijing-based toymaker Pop Mart, Labubu dolls have become a must-have item internationally.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SHANGHAI – The police in Shanghai busted a gang making and selling fake Labubus in July, detaining eight people and seizing 5,000 counterfeit toys worth 12 million yuan (S$2.1 million), local state-owned media reported.
Made by Beijing-based toymaker Pop Mart, Labubu dolls have become a must-have item internationally, adorning the handbags of celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa.
The furry, fanged creatures, which typically sell for around US$40, are released in limited quantities and have caused frenzies at stores around the world.
Knock-offs – many of which are also made in China – have flooded online platforms, dubbed “Lafufus” by social media users.
The Shanghai bust in early July uncovered 12 million yuan worth of fake Pop Mart toys, state-run Shanghai Daily reported late on July 29.
Pop Mart had notified the police when a customer reported that one Labubu purchased online was a fake.
This led to the discovery of an online store that sold fans, speakers and gaming consoles – but was also a front for selling the Labubu counterfeits.
The police raided a warehouse, detaining eight people and finding 5,000 toys complete with forged trademarks and fake anti-counterfeit stickers, the report said.
It is not the first time the fluffy monsters have been associated with crime.
In Singapore, CCTV footage captured a family stealing Labubu dolls from a claw machine in 2024, according to online media outlet AsiaOne.
And in June 2025, burglars broke into a store in California and took several Labubu dolls along with electronics and other valuables, US news outlet ABC reported. AFP
