More than £3.5m worth of fake toys have been seized at the border so far this year, officials have said, with nine in ten being duplicates of a viral doll.
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) said 259,000 fake toys have been intercepted.
Of that number, 75% failed critical safety tests, and 90% – or 236,000 of the items – were Labubu dolls.
It marks the latest seizure of fake versions of Labubu dolls, which have surged in popularity this year after going viral on social media.
Labubus are Chinese-made cheeky-looking, sharp-toothed soft toys resembling a bear, that can be fastened to bags.
Earlier this month, 100 fake Labubu dolls – dubbed Lafufus – were seized in raids on two west London shops after they were found to pose a potentially fatal choking hazard for children.
Read more: What are Labubus and how did they get so popular?
Pic: IPO / PA
In a statement on Thursday, IPO deputy director of enforcement Helen Barnham said that “with counterfeit toys, what you see is rarely what you get”.
She added: “Behind the packaging can be hidden choking hazards, toxic chemicals and faulty parts that put children in real danger.
“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.”
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A poll for the IPO also found that while 92% of toy buyers are aware of counterfeit goods, most are more concerned with saving money rather than considering safety.
Seven in ten prioritised cost when buying toys, while 27% said safety was a factor.
Content Source: news.sky.com