Europol seizes 5 million counterfeit toys worth over 10 million yuan

According to foreign media reports, Europol recently said that they have seized more than 5 million potentially dangerous counterfeit toys worth more than 18 million euros (20 million US dollars) .

Europol conducted Operation Ludus II, which was launched between October 2021 and January 31, 2022, specifically to combat the trafficking of counterfeit toys and other goods. Ludus II was led by the Spanish Civil Guard, the Spanish National Police and the Spanish Customs Authorities, with the participation of law enforcement agencies from 21 EU countries.

The European Union Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) are also supporting the operation, while the World Customs Organization (WCO) is participating as an observer and providing secure communications to its members in support of the operation .

Europol said the counterfeit toy products seized in the operation included "fake and illegal educational games, video game- related products , board and card games, character peripherals from famous film and television dramas , children's building blocks, counterfeit brand clothing and accessories , etc. " The seized goods posed risks such as chemical exposure, suffocation, electric shock, hearing loss and fire.

The relevant law enforcement authorities conducted multiple raids following an online investigation launched on e-commerce platforms. It is reported that most of the counterfeit toys seized were imported from East Asia to the EU, the UK and the US. The authorities found that these toy products generally had problems such as intellectual property infringement, lack of CE marking and EU declaration of compliance , and the presence of undesirable hazardous substances .

During the Ludus II phase, a total of 72 e-commerce platforms were monitored, 99 people reported to judicial authorities , 1,459 people reported to health or administrative departments , and 30 online websites were closed for selling counterfeit and substandard products .

Ludus II is the second major EU investigation into counterfeit products . The first Ludus operation was launched in 2020 after the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) issued a warning about toys that did not comply with EU safety regulations and posed a danger to children .

Europol also said that counterfeit goods now account for 2.5% of total global trade .

European Union

Toy

Product Safety