Gongbei Customs at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has recently busted three smuggling cases involving bogus “Labubu”* products from POP MART, totalling 20,599 items that violate the intellectual property rights of the Chinese mainland’s POP MART brand, according to a statement from the Gongbei Customs.
The statement noted that last Thursday at 1 a.m. Gongbei customs officers inspected a cross-border lorry transporting export goods at the Zhuhai checkpoint. They discovered a batch of grey-brown cartons filled with numerous blind boxes and plush toys, amounting to 10,465 items. Some outer packaging displayed the “POP MART” brand logo, while other products were unbranded but featured designs from POP MART’s popular Labubu series. Customs officers assessed the batch as potential intellectual property (IP) infringement items.
Later that day, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. respectively, customs officers separately intercepted two additional cross-border lorries carrying blind boxes and plush toys marked with the “POP MART” brand logo, containing 7,734 and 2,400 items respectively. In total, the customs officers seized 20,599 counterfeit Labubu items.
Customs had confirmed with the rights holder that the blind boxes and plush toys were using the “POP MART” logo without authorisation, violating trademark rights and copyrights. The rights holder has requested Gongbei Customs for IP protection.
In the statement, Gongbei Customs reminded the public that, according to the “Customs Law of the People’s Republic of China”, importers, exporters, and their agents must accurately declare the intellectual property status of goods to customs and submit relevant certification documents. Goods that infringe intellectual property rights protected by [mainland] Chinese laws and regulations will be confiscated and may incur fines; if a crime has been committed, criminal liability will be pursued.
*The popular Labubu plush toys, which have become collectible items, are often sold in blind boxes (also called mystery boxes or black boxes), where the exact design the buyers get is random unless they buy a full case or identify them by weight or feel. POP MART is a leading mainland Chinese designer toy and collectibles brand that has gained global popularity for its trendy blind box figures and art toys. – DeepSeek
Gongbei customs seizes 7.56 tonnes of smuggled frozen meat
Meanwhile, Gongbei Customs said in a statement yesterday that its officers at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge have recently busted a smuggling case seizing 7.56 tonnes of frozen meat.
According to the statement, on the afternoon of June 6, customs officers in Zhuhai inspected a cross-border lorry carrying export items. Upon inspection, the officers discovered a large number of white foam boxes containing undeclared frozen goods, including beef steak and pork, totalling 7.56 tonnes.
In the statement, Gongbei Customs reminded the public that according to the “Implementation Regulations of the Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law of the People’s Republic of China,” if the shipper of export goods, the inspection agency, or involved personnel do not accurately provide the actual conditions of the export goods, fail to declare legally inspected export items, or evade inspection, the entry-exit inspection and quarantine authorities will confiscate the illegal gains and impose a fine ranging from 5 percent to 20 percent of the goods’ commercial value. Furthermore, if the situation is severe enough to constitute a crime, criminal liability will be pursued.
The undated handout photo provided by Gongbei Customs yesterday shows its officers checking the fake Labubu contraband seized earlier from a cross-border lorry.
