Grand Theft Labubu: $37K In Popular Figurines Stolen In CA This Week

Labubu fever isn’t just gripping Gen Z and teenagers — it’s also fueling large-scale thefts in Southern California.

This week, law enforcement agencies detailed two separate incidents in which thieves made off with tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of the toothy collectible figurines.

While it’s unclear whether the heists are connected, one thing is certain: the little monsters were thought to become big business for these criminals.

On Monday, detectives on the western edge of San Bernardino County said they investigated a burglary, where suspects were accused of breaking into a warehouse and stealing boxes containing the "highly sought-after" Labubu collectible figurines.

"These items, popular in pop culture and often sold for high prices online, were taken in multiple trips over several days," the Chino Police Department wrote in a Facebook post.

During the investigation, a warrant was served at a home in Upland. When police arrived, one suspect reportedly attempted to run away but ultimately surrendered without further issue, the department said.

Then, detectives recovered 14 boxes of stolen figurines. They also found evidence that the Labubus were being prepared for resale and shipment across the country.

Some $30,000 worth of Labubus were returned to the rightful owners.

"Outstanding teamwork in bringing this case to a close!" the police wrote.

Meanwhile, last week, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department had reported that masked robbers broke into a store and stole about $7,000 worth of the wildly popular dolls, authorities said.

The heist for the stuffed creatures was reported Wednesday morning at a store in La Puente, a city in east Los Angeles County, according to the county's sheriff's department.

The suspects used a stolen Toyota Tacoma for the robbery, the department said. The truck was recovered shortly after the incident.

The La Puente store, One Stop Sales, announced that its inventory had been stolen on Instagram.

"Today we got robbed, and they took all of our inventory, trashed our store, we are still in shock, if you guys can share this post please and help us find these [thieves]," the store owners wrote in a post.

Security footage showed what appeared to be four men grabbing inventory from the store.

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What the heck is Labubu?

Here’s a quick primer on what these figurines are and why they’ve captured the hearts (and wallets) of so many young collectors.

Labubu was created by Hong Kong-born, Netherlands-raised artist Kasing Lung, who introduced the rabbit-eared character in his 2015 story series "The Monsters", inspired heavily by Nordic mythology.

Although Labubu has been around for a decade, the craze only recently took hold in the United States. Today, the toothy figurine is a global pop culture icon, with hundreds of versions sold worldwide — ranging in price from about $20 to well over $1,000.

Labubu's fast ascension came in part because of the recent blind box craze, which turns collecting into a game of chance and fuels demand for rare, high-value figures.

Like its predecessor, Monchhichi, Labubu has tapped into the blind box and collectible toy trend that arguably first took hold in the U.S. in 2023.

READ MORE: Stolen Labubu Dolls Worth $30K Recovered From Inland Empire Home