Irish officials have confiscated fake Labubu dolls, high-end goods, drugs, guns, and thousands of litres of wine during a series of operations across the country. The total street value of the haul was more than €340,000 (£292,000), according to Revenue Irish Tax and Customs.
The seizures took place in Dublin, the Midlands, and Rosslare, and the parcels came from the USA, Thailand, and the UK.
Counterfeit Goods Flooding Market
Among the seized contraband were 200 counterfeit Labubu dolls worth €4,000 and 374 other fake products worth over €90,000. The counterfeit products carried the marks of well-known luxury and sports brands, including Adidas, Birkenstock, Cartier, Moncler, Nike, and Louis Vuitton.
Authorities emphasized that counterfeit products still remain a significant issue in consumer markets, undercutting honest businesses while financing criminal activity.
Weapons and Wine Among Seized Items
Apart from toys and counterfeit luxury items, officers seized an illegal airsoft sub-machine gun and nunchuk.
The biggest individual haul was in the shape of 11,340 litres of red wine with branding ISKAR Rara Neagra. The shipment, with a value in excess of €138,000, was stopped on a ferry journey from France at Rosslare Europort last Thursday.
Revenue established that drugs also formed part of the seizures, which included 1.59 kg of herbal cannabis, cannabis oil, edibles, synthetic cannabinoids, MDMA, and ketamine. Officials pointed out that parcels of drugs were hidden in normal courier packages sent to persons in Ireland.
What is Labubu?
The presence of the fake Labubu dolls in the seizures establishes the increased worldwide demand for the offbeat toy brand.
Labubu, who was designed by Hong Kong-born designer Kasing Lung, is a fictional character in Pop Mart’s The Monsters toy collection. The dolls are immediately identifiable with their elf-like pointy ears, bulbous eyes, and mischievous smile revealing nine teeth.
While supporters label them cute, some people think they are strange. The popularity of the dolls boosted Pop Mart’s revenue more than two-fold to £1.33 billion ($1.81 billion) last year, according to Forbes.
Labubu dolls have been found in themed sets like Big into Energy, Have a Seat, Exciting Macaron, and Fall in Wild. Although they are cute to look at, their fake versions are now linked to global smuggling networks.
Revenue authorities confirmed that investigations were under way and that prosecutions were a possibility. Authorities also reaffirmed their determination to crack down on smuggling, especially when fake products and illegal drugs are transported in the same shipment.
