UK Trading Standards Raids Uncover Counterfeit Labubu Dolls Across Multiple Locations

Bradford Council revoked the alcohol licence of Keighley Pound Plus on December 9 after Trading Standards officers and police found sophisticated concealed compartments packed with illicit tobacco, illegal vapes, and counterfeit Labubu dolls inside the Cavendish Street shop. The licensing panel heard the evidence on March 17, with police describing the premises as the centre of "sustained criminal activity to sell illicit tobacco." The licence holder, Keighley Pound Plus Ltd, whose sole director is named as Ari Rafiq, did not attend the hearing and was represented by a solicitor who argued for suspension rather than revocation. The panel voted to revoke.

The Keighley raid turned up drawers filled with counterfeit cigarettes hidden behind pet food, a compartment that could be lowered from the ceiling, 130 oversized vapes and 149 single-use vapes, and three counterfeit Labubu dolls. A worker encountered on site told officers he was from London and travelled to Keighley to work four days at a time. Trading Standards estimated that installing the type of concealed compartment found at the shop costs around £5,000, a detail that pointed to deliberate planning rather than opportunistic selling.

The Keighley action was one of several enforcement operations targeting fake Labubus across England. At Penkridge Market in Staffordshire, Trading Standards officers raided a number of stalls and seized approximately 840 counterfeit Labubu dolls, 200 accessories including key rings, bags and fake branded clothes, 46 counterfeit Apple AirPods, and 143 illegal vapes. A pink paper sign photographed on one of the stalls priced the dolls at £8 each or two for £15. Councillor Anthony Screen of Staffordshire County Council said the authority was determined to keep acting. "Counterfeit products aren't just a con - they can be dangerous to your health, your safety and your community," he said. "Every fake sold puts people at risk and takes money from honest local businesses." Market manager Matthew Williams said the market would continue to report anything it believed was not legitimate and work with Trading Standards to keep the space "counterfeit-free as possible."

A third operation, published by Derby City Council on 12 September 2025, targeted city-centre stores and seized 523 counterfeit Labubu dolls and over 2,000 illicit items in total, including 1,511 disposable vapes that have been illegal in the UK since 1 June 2025. Officers visited eight stores; seven were found selling counterfeit products and all cooperated, voluntarily surrendering goods for disposal. Each received a written warning that a more formal approach, including possible prosecution, would follow any repeat offence.

Across all three operations, Trading Standards officer Jason Bethell gave the clearest account of the supply chain behind the fakes. "Counterfeit Labubu dolls are smuggled into the country by the container load by criminal gangs," he told councillors. "It might seem trivial, but they can be dangerous. They often contain toxic dyes and loose parts such as eyes or feet." Derby City Council's own warning was equally direct: some of the seized dolls were missing plastic hands, eyes, and accessories, illustrating how easily those small parts detach from unregulated products.

The counterfeits trade on the popularity of a genuine article that retails for between £30 and £50, with limited editions reaching into the hundreds. The market stall in Penkridge was shifting them for a fraction of that, and the gap between those price points is precisely where the risk sits.