Chinese customs authorities have recently intercepted over 40,000 counterfeit Labubu, a top seller in Pop Mart products, which has seen growing global demand.

The Gongbei Customs in Guangdong province uncovered 20,599 suspected counterfeit products on June 12, including blind-box toys and plush figures, during three separate inspections of outbound transshipment trucks at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Customs checkpoint, according to the General Administration of Customs on Wednesday afternoon.

Many of the items closely resembled characters from Pop Mart's popular Labubu series, but most lacked proper trademark labels.

Following confirmation from the intellectual property rights holder, the seized goods were deemed to have unauthorized use of the company's trademark and copyrighted character designs, violating its legal protections.

The holder has formally applied for customs protection, and the cases are currently under further legal process, it said.

This is not the single case considering the growing demand on this "cute-ugly" toy across the world.

In June, some domestic customs reported multiple cases of intercepting the counterfeit Labubu toys.

In Zhejiang's Ningbo, the Beilun Customs officers confiscated 20,240 plush toys and plastic cups that were found to infringe on the Labubu Spring Elf series. In another case, officers at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport seized 5,961 toys falsely declared as "dinosaur toy" or "plush toys", all bearing Pop Mart's trademark without authorization.

Customs authorities have reminded exporters and their agents that, under China's Customs Law, all goods must be truthfully declared, including their intellectual property status. Documentation proving legal use of trademarks or copyrighted designs must be submitted when required.

Infringing goods are subject to confiscation and fines. In severe cases, criminal charges may be pursued in accordance with the law, the authorities added.