Southend-on-Sea City CouncilCounterfeit Labubu dolls that failed to meet UK safety standards were among a haul of £45,000 worth of illegal goods seized by police and council officers.
The elf-like creatures from Chinese toy maker Pop Mart have become a fashionable purchase, with customers including Rihanna, Dua Lipa and Kim Kardashian.
An operation in Southend-on-Sea uncovered a network of High Street retailers using vehicles and residential homes to conceal the illegal stock.
Martin Terry, an independent at Southend-on-Sea City Council, said the authority could not tolerate trading that “undermines honest local businesses”.
Two vehicles acting as mobile delivery units were seized and crushed after evidence showed they were supplying shops and customers with illicit goods, the council said.
Together with Essex Police, the council’s trading standards team seized illegal cigarettes, tobacco, vapes and toys including popular Labubu and Pop Mart dolls.
In total, the goods seized were valued at about £45,000.
EPA-EFE/ShutterstockEnforcement action is under way and could include fines, closure orders or criminal prosecution.
Terry added: “Our trading standards team works tirelessly to protect residents and ensure retailers meet their legal obligations.”
Last month, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) said fake toys worth more than £3.5m had been seized at the UK border in 2025.
The government body said 90% of this haul was made up of Labubu dolls.