About $30,000 worth of stolen Labubus were recovered from a home in San Bernardino County, California, police said.
People took boxes of the furry, highly sought-after collectible dolls from a warehouse in multiple trips over several days, Chino police said in a news release Monday. Police did not clarify when the purse-hanging plush toys were taken or whom 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 owners, police said.
It is not the only recent incident in which 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 Los Angeles-area store, One Stop Sales.
Video the store posted showed masked men enter the store as the sound of breaking glass is heard. The men take boxes of merchandise.
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 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 exorbitant prices.
