Thieves stole £150,000 worth of viral Pop Mart toys in a major shipment raid – just weeks after a similar theft saw £20,000 of Jellycat plushies stolen from a single store.
The Pop Mart toys, which are loved by celebs and members of the public alike, were swiped from a lorry just weeks before their official release.
Pop Mart make plastic figurines of loveable characters including the likes of Labubu, which has gone viral online.
A brand new series of figures named Hirono were due to hit shop shelves in May, but a major shipment of the toys, which are not yet available commercially, was intercepted by the thieves.
Criminals raided the lorry carrying some £150,000 worth of the toys in the early hours of April 8 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.
The criminals made off with the majority of the toys and Hertfordshire Constabulary are investigating.
Hirono – a small plastic figurine that resembles a small boy in a range of different costumes – is due to hit shelves online and in-store in May.
A spokesperson for Pop Mart said they are ‘deeply saddened’ by the ‘recent rise in toy theft’ and said it was ‘working diligently’ to ensure it didn’t impact the launch next month.
The Pop Mart toys, which are loved by celebs and members of the public alike, were swiped from a lorry just weeks before their official release
The new Hirono figurines are not yet commercially available and come in a range of designs
The vast majority of the shipment was stolen – equating to £150,000 worth of stock
The crime is the second in a month targeting expensive toys.
Criminal groups are becoming increasingly aware of the booming collectible toy market, experts warn, because of the hefty prices they fetch online.
On March 30, £20k worth of Jellycat toys were stolen from an independent store in Cheddar, Somerset.
Jellycat plushies have been the target of multiple high-value thefts in recent months, leading some stores to resort to desperate measures to protect the stock, such as storing them in locked cabinets.
The theft in Cheddar saw a masked couple repeatedly reverse their car into a shopfront in the early hours of the morning, before making off with more than 300 soft toys.
Rare Jellycats can be sold for up to thousands of pounds online, fuelling a rise in the number of ‘steal to sell’ shoplifters operating around the country.
Paul Pimlott, company secretary of The Gorge Bear Company which was targeted in the burglary, said: ‘We had over 300 soft toys stolen in the raid. We’ve been here since 1999 and nothing like this has happened before.
‘But we’ve had lots of support from the community and we will continue.
A spokesperson for Pop Mart said they are ‘deeply saddened’ by the ‘recent rise in toy theft’ and said it was ‘working diligently’ to ensure it didn’t impact the launch next month
Hertfordshire Police is investigating the theft of the viral toys (Pictured: Pop Mart Hirono figurines)
‘We also own World of Bears in Taunton and have staff to look after. So as a local business we want to carry on contributing locally.’
He urged people to look out for items at car boot sales, on Vinted and eBay.
A spokesman for Hertfordshire Constabulary said: ‘Police are investigating following a theft from a motor vehicle in Hemel Hempstead.
‘Between 1.30am and 5.27am on Tuesday April 8, a trailer curtain was cut on an HGV parked on Eaton Road, causing extensive damage and a large number of items were reported stolen.
‘Enquiries continue, and anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101 or report online, quoting crime reference number 41/32324/25.’
