$30,000 worth of Labubus headed for black market recovered from SoCal home

Los Angeles Times

a day ago

When police searched a home in Upland as part of a recent burglary investigation, they weren't looking for piles of cash or bags full of jewelry, but boxes of what has become the must-have item of the year.
Within each of the 14 boxes taken from the home, Chino police said, were those little customizable monsters that are taking over America — Labubu.
According to a social media post on Monday, Chino police recovered $30,000 worth of the furry figurines, which usually retail for about $30, from a home as part of an investigation into a series of thefts from a local warehouse.
The figurines are usually sold at Pop Mart stores and create a fervor whenever new supplies are released. A child-sized Labubu sold at auction for $150,000, according to media reports, and limited edition monsters can retail for $150.
When police searched the home, they found an operation to resell and ship the figurines across the country, officials said. One person inside the home tried to run away but eventually surrendered. The Labubus were then returned to their rightful owner.
With their popularity soaring, Labubu heists are not unheard of in the Southland.
Last week, thieves robbed a La Puente business that advertised its stock of Labubu figurines online. One Stop Sales said that thieves broke into their shop and stole multiple boxes of merchandise, including Labubu monsters. The shop owners later announced that some of their merchandise were recovered by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Labubu, the furry figurines sold exclusively at Chinese-based Pop Mart, are often sold in timed online events and then customers can pick up at storefronts across the U.S.