logo
Masked robbers steal $30,000 worth of Labubu dolls in La Puente smash-and-grab

Masked robbers steal $30,000 worth of Labubu dolls in La Puente smash-and-grab

Express Tribune3 days ago
A resale shop in La Puente, California, is pleading for help after masked robbers stole an estimated $30,000 worth of Labubu dolls in an early morning smash-and-grab on August 6.
Surveillance footage shows the suspects breaking the front door of One Stop Sales before heading directly to a display stocked with the popular collectible figures. Store owner Joanna Avendano told ABC7 that the thieves ignored all other merchandise and targeted only Labubu dolls.
'There was a lot taken, maybe like around $30,000 or more of inventory,' Avendano said. 'We worked so hard to get to this point, and for them to just come in and, like nothing, take it all away, it's really bad.'
Labubu dolls, produced by Pop Mart, retail for about $30 but can fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the resale market. Avendano believes the burglary may have been planned, noting she had recently shared news of a new shipment on social media.
Following the theft, she posted online asking for help in identifying the suspects seen in the store's security footage. 'Today we got robbed, they took all of our inventory and trashed our store. We are still in shock. Please help us find these thieves,' she wrote.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is investigating, and no arrests have been made.
Labubu collectibles have surged in popularity in 2025, with celebrities spotted wearing Labubu-themed items on red carpets. Their success has contributed to making Pop Mart's founder China's youngest billionaire.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Masked robbers steal $30,000 worth of Labubu dolls in La Puente smash-and-grab
Masked robbers steal $30,000 worth of Labubu dolls in La Puente smash-and-grab

Express Tribune

time3 days ago

  • Express Tribune

Masked robbers steal $30,000 worth of Labubu dolls in La Puente smash-and-grab

A resale shop in La Puente, California, is pleading for help after masked robbers stole an estimated $30,000 worth of Labubu dolls in an early morning smash-and-grab on August 6. Surveillance footage shows the suspects breaking the front door of One Stop Sales before heading directly to a display stocked with the popular collectible figures. Store owner Joanna Avendano told ABC7 that the thieves ignored all other merchandise and targeted only Labubu dolls. 'There was a lot taken, maybe like around $30,000 or more of inventory,' Avendano said. 'We worked so hard to get to this point, and for them to just come in and, like nothing, take it all away, it's really bad.' Labubu dolls, produced by Pop Mart, retail for about $30 but can fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the resale market. Avendano believes the burglary may have been planned, noting she had recently shared news of a new shipment on social media. Following the theft, she posted online asking for help in identifying the suspects seen in the store's security footage. 'Today we got robbed, they took all of our inventory and trashed our store. We are still in shock. Please help us find these thieves,' she wrote. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is investigating, and no arrests have been made. Labubu collectibles have surged in popularity in 2025, with celebrities spotted wearing Labubu-themed items on red carpets. Their success has contributed to making Pop Mart's founder China's youngest billionaire.

Issue new number plates for free'
Issue new number plates for free'

Express Tribune

time20-07-2025

  • Express Tribune

Issue new number plates for free'

Issue the new Ajrak-themed number plates for free or stop legal action for non-compliance, said Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) senior leader Dr. Farooq Sattar on Sunday. Sattar strongly criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), accusing it of running a feudal form of democracy in Sindh for the past 17 years. He warned that Karachi, the province's economic backbone, was being systematically exploited, while its citizens were being pushed to the wall. Addressing a press conference at MQM-P's Bahadurabad headquarters alongside senior leaders Syed Amin-ul-Haque, Zahid Mansoori, Shakil Ahmed, and others, Sattar said "there is a smoldering anger in Sindh's cities. Karachi is being looted in the name of culture, and the feudal rulers have shown unprecedented arrogance," he said. He questioned the recent promotion of Ajrak-themed number plates, claiming that behind this cultural facade lies a "new avenue of exploitation." He alleged that thousands of traffic policemen from interior Sindh have been deployed in Karachi and are extorting money from citizens under the pretext of enforcement. "Governor Sindh has rightly pointed out that Ajrak will lose its sanctity if it is used to loot people," he added. Sattar pointed out that while in interior Sindh more than 95% of vehicles reportedly operate without number plates, no action is taken there. "Karachi, the golden goose, is being slaughtered," he said, calling for either free issuance of number plates or a halt to arbitrary penalties. He also criticised the recent transfer of 40 employees from the Sehwan Development Authority to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), terming it an "injustice" to Karachi's youth. "Karachi and Hyderabad domicile holders are being sidelined in government institutions," he said. The MQM leader said that the collapse of buildings in Lyari and failure to implement policies on dangerous structures reflect the PPP-led provincial government's negligence. He demanded that former chief ministers and local government ministers be named in FIRs for allowing illegal constructions during their tenure. "The Minister for Local Government is obligated to convene meetings on dangerous buildings every three months — but they have shown complete disregard," he noted. Touching on education, Sattar claimed that in the recent NED University entrance exam, 90% of students from Sindh's rural boards failed, while 76% from Karachi passed, showing a glaring disparity. "I feel sorry for these children. They are being made dependent on crutches by a broken system," he remarked. Sattar also criticized the Karachi mayor and the Jamaat-e-Islami's nine town chairmen, blaming them for poor city conditions. "The mayor says he is not responsible for lanes and neighborhoods. Then who is?" he asked.

New number plates: small traders decry ‘aggressive' traffic police drive
New number plates: small traders decry ‘aggressive' traffic police drive

Business Recorder

time10-07-2025

  • Business Recorder

New number plates: small traders decry ‘aggressive' traffic police drive

KARACHI: Leaders of the All Pakistan Organisation of Small Traders and Cottage Industries Karachi have urged the Chief Justice of Sindh to take suo motu notice of what they term a 'broad daylight robbery' of Rs8 billion, being extracted from Karachi's citizens and traders under the pretext of replacing motorcycle number plates with newly designed Ajrak-themed ones. In a joint statement issued on Wednesday by President Mehmood Hamid, Vice President Javed Abdullah, Syed Naveed Ahmed, and General Secretary Usman Sharif, the trader leaders said that the new number plate campaign has turned into an excuse for bribery and exploitation by police. They called on the judiciary to protect citizens from this rampant misuse of authority. They alleged that the Sindh government has started collecting Rs1,850 per motorcycle for new number plates. They said without paying a briber of Rs2,500 to agents, obtaining these plates is nearly impossible. 'This is despite the fact that at the time of purchase, the government already collects an advance tax on motorcycles, which includes the cost of number plates. Charging citizens twice is unlawful,' the statement said. They further alleged that around 3.2 million motorcycles in Karachi are being targeted under this scheme, and that a crackdown has already begun on the megacity's roads, with traffic police reportedly stopping and fining riders aggressively. 'Traffic police have left all other duties and are now only focused on confiscating motorcycles and issuing challans,' they said, accusing officers and officials of looting the public with both hands. They expressed outrage over reports that applicants who submitted requests for the new plates last year have yet to receive them, while the enforcement drive continues unabated. Describing the entire process as unjust, they demanded an immediate halt to the fines and confiscations, calling the ongoing penalties and detentions 'oppressive.' The trader representatives emphasised that motorcycles are the primary mode of transport for the megacity's poor and lower-middle class, including small business owners who use them to transport goods. 'Petrol prices are already sky-high. Now traders are forced to carry goods on their motorcycles due to lack of alternatives,' they said. They alleged that traffic police are using the new number plate issue as a pretext to harass and extort riders. 'They pounce on motorcyclists like vultures and even search their pockets,' they said. Warning of serious protest, they stated that if these 'oppressive decisions' are not withdrawn, traders will lay siege to the office of the DIG Traffic and will not end the protest until their demands are met. Criticizing the state of public transport, they said the government thinks the problem has been solved by running just 200 to 300 buses in a city of 35 million. 'The public is already suffering due to the transport crisis. Now, banning Qingqi rickshaws on 20 main roads of Karachi has made life more difficult and pushed thousands into unemployment,' they said. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store