$30,000 worth of stolen Labubus recovered by police in California
Boxes of the furry, highly sought-after collectible dolls were taken by suspects from a warehouse in multiple trips over several days, the City of Chino Police Department said in a news release on Monday. Police did not clarify when exactly the purse-hanging plush toys were taken from the warehouse, or who the warehouse belongs to.
An investigation ensued to rescue all 14 boxes of the cuddly, creepy-cute Labubus.
"During the investigation, a search warrant was served at a residence in Upland," police said. "One suspect attempted to flee but ultimately surrendered without incident."
All 14 boxes containing the plush toys were recovered from the home, "along with evidence indicating the items were being prepared for resale and shipment across the country," police said.
The stolen items, valued at around $30,000, were returned to their rightful owners, police said.
This is not the only recent incident where scores of the super popular gremlin-like plush toys were stolen.
Last week, a group of burglars stole about $7,000 worth of Labubus from L.A.-area store, One Stop Sales.
Video from the incident posted by the store showed masked men enter the store as the sound of breaking glass is heard. The men can be seen in the video taking boxes of merchandise from the store.
Labubu dolls are exclusively made and sold by Pop Mart, a Chinese retailer that is known for 'blind box' collectibles. One blind box retails for about $27.99, while a set of six retails for $167.94. Some exclusive Labubus can retail for hundreds of dollars.
The toothy little monsters began exploding in popularity earlier this year after celebrities like Rihanna and Blackpink's Lisa were spotted with them hanging from their handbags. The Labubu craze has resulted in seriously high demand, with resellers putting them up on sites like eBay for extortionate prices.
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