More than 200 fake and potentially dangerous Labubu dolls have been seized by the Office of Fair Trading on the Isle of Man.
Two stores in Douglas were found to have the dolls, and investigations discovered they were counterfeit and posed a choking hazard to children.
The collectible toy from the Pop Mart ‘Monsters’ series has become hugely popular with children and teenagers in recent years, after launching in 2015.
A government spokesman said demand for the dolls had “created an opportunity for imitation products to flood the market, many of which fail to meet essential safety standards, as in this case”.
“Counterfeit goods often bypass safety and quality checks, infringe intellectual property rights, and undermine legitimate businesses,” he added.
Signs of a fake include overly vibrant colours and an incorrect number of teeth, with authentic Labubus having nine.
Senior Trading Standards Officer Jennifer Wood said: “Counterfeit toys are not just illegal, they can be dangerous.”
“These dolls were found to have small parts that could easily detach, posing a serious risk to children.”
Consumers should be “cautious when buying toys from unfamiliar or unverified sellers”, she urged.
Chairman of the Office of Fair Trading Tim Glover MHK said “protecting our residents, especially children” from unsafe products was “a top priority”.
He encouraged anyone who suspected a product for sale on the island might be unsafe or counterfeit “to report it immediately”.
The word Labubu is the name of a character in toy series the Monsters created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung.
The toys gained worldwide attention in 2024 after a member of popular K-pop band Blackpink had a keychain Labubu attached to her bag.
