Thousands of badly made, potentially dangerous imitations of the popular toys were found in February during a search of a warehouse in Bridge Road, Southall, by Ealing Council’s Trading Standards team, the Metropolitan Police, and HMRC.
Globally popular and a celebrity favourite, the toothy, furry elf-like dolls, often attached to bags or belts, can resell for hundreds of pounds. The confiscated imitation items were of poor quality, with parts which could be a choking hazard for children if they break off.
In total, 5 van loads of counterfeit or illegal goods were confiscated from the unit occupied by a wholesaler. Amongst other items, goods seized included large quantities of:
- Illegal chewing tobacco
- Stash bags for storing drugs
- Suspected counterfeit football club wristbands
- Banned novelty lighters shaped like guns, which are appealing to children, and counterfeit branded lighters
- Unsafe travel adaptors.
Nicky Fiedler, Ealing Council’s Strategic Director of Housing and Environment, said: “This huge seizure will help keep local families safe from the risk of poor-quality counterfeit products. Our advice is to only buy legitimate products from trusted sources. If the price of an item seems too good to be true, it almost always is.
“We always take the strongest possible action to protect the public from dangerous dodgy goods.”
The investigation into the seized items is ongoing and may lead to court action being taken.
In recent years the council’s Trading Standards team has seized tons of dangerous and illegal goods, including illicit cigarettes, shisha, illegal chewing tobacco, and illegal vapes – many of which posed serious health and safety risks.
Other seizures have included counterfeit clothing, perfumes, cosmetics, electrical goods, household items, prescription-only medication, unsafe cosmetic products, and nitrous oxide canisters.
A single operation in April 2023 resulted in the seizure of approximately 53,000 counterfeit luxury items – including products claiming to be made by Chanel, Hermès, and Louis Vuitton – estimated to be worth £5million.
The team has successfully prosecuted multiple offenders, recovering thousands of pounds through cost orders and confiscation orders. A notable case resulted in a £228,918 confiscation order against a shop manager involved in the illicit tobacco trade.
This article was published by Ealing Council on 31/03/2026 and can be viewed at https://www.aroundealing.com/news/fake-toys-seized/