Fake toys are poisoning, deafening and injuring children across Europe, while causing major losses to the EU economy. 26 countries, coordinated by Europol, co-led by France, Spain and Romania, and supported by the EUIPO and OLAF, have once again led initiatives to take down the producers and importers of counterfeit toys.
With the global toy market valued at up to EUR 300 billion annually, it also remains the second-most counterfeited industry globally.
In time for the upcoming holiday and gifting season, a newly issued report on the distribution and dangers of counterfeit toys in the EU, titled ‘Cheating the toy world’, shows that criminal networks remain highly active and adept at counterfeiting toys.
Intellectual property (IP) crime – and specifically the counterfeiting of toys – generates enormous financial losses for legitimate companies, undermines brand credibility and endangers economic development and the environment. Most concerningly, counterfeit toys expose children and other consumers to serious health and safety risks.
Coordinated law enforcement action against fake toys
The annual effort to tackle this criminal phenomenon is codenamed Operation LUDUS – from the Latin word for ‘toy’. As counterfeit sales increase significantly around holidays, these coordinated law enforcement actions typically take place at the end of the year. Operations LUDUS IV and LUDUS V have led to the following results:
Operation LUDUS V (2024-2025):
- 8.2 million packages of toys seized, with an assessed value of EUR 8.7 million
- 86 persons reported to judicial authorities
- 194 persons reported to administrative or health authorities
Operation LUDUS IV (2023-2024):
- 8.4 million packages of toys seized, with an assessed value of 28.1 million
- 125 persons reported to judicial authorities
- 150 persons reported to administrative or health authorities
The seized counterfeit toys were mainly imported through regular shipping routes. Investigators determined that the main infringements were intellectual property rights violations, the presence of dangerous substances, and the absence of CE marking or EU conformity certificates.
Many of the seized toys indicated various hazards and risks. Completely evading the EU’s strict rules on products intended for children, these fake toys can cause asphyxiation, suffocation, drowning, cuts or burns, and expose children to chemical substances. Some pose choking hazards and could be ingested, while others may damage children’s hearing or sight.
Fake toys can pose serious health hazards…
Within the European Union, strict regulatory standards govern the design, production and sale of toys and games. Criminal actors involved in counterfeit toys evade such criteria, which are designed to protect the health and safety of consumers, especially children. Poor build quality and the use of low-grade toxic materials can cause severe and even life-threatening injuries to children playing with fake toys.
This is especially concerning in counterfeit toys intended for baby mouthing, as infants are directly exposed to these substances. Other dangers come from electronic toys whose sound levels may exceed legal decibel limits, causing irreversible hearing loss. Many toys also rely on electrical components and other combustible materials, such as batteries, which may not conform to the relevant regulations.
…and cause major economic losses for the EU
According to the report issued today, the toy sector has the highest average sales loss from counterfeit goods in the EU. With an estimated 8.7% of total sales, this represents around EUR 1 billion in lost sales and 3 600 fewer people employed in the industry. In addition, the tax evasion linked to this crime area significantly affects the EU’s economy.
For all these reasons, customers are warned to beware of fake toys and other products intended for children. Buying from reputable retailers provides accountability, peace of mind and a warranty.
A coordinated approach between countries and agencies
Operation LUDUS is a recurring operation that cracks down on the trafficking of counterfeit toys. It involves law enforcement and customs authorities from most EU countries and relies on close collaboration with the private sector.
The operation involves a dedicated analytical preparation phase, followed by an operational phase in which all participating countries perform inspections and raids to detect illegal shipments and storage places. In certain operations, raids follow investigations that began on e-commerce platforms and marketplaces. Collaborating with the private sector enables better detection and identification of counterfeit toys, as well as the subsequent seizure of packages that are often distributed among multiple shipments.
Apart from organising and coordinating operational activities, Europol also liaised with the private sector. This included obtaining information on specific products on the market and analysing the data collected throughout the operation.
EUIPO supported the logistical organisation of the operation and facilitated collaboration between rights holders and enforcement authorities through the Intellectual Property Enforcement Portal (IPEP). This collaboration enabled the private sector to share relevant information with enforcement authorities using IPEP’s ‘alert and interesting cases functionalities’, while authorities could request data from the private sector to address suspicious cases. As a strategic and financial partner, EUIPO strengthened cross-sector collaboration, reflecting its commitment to fostering a robust, inclusive, diverse and sustainable IP ecosystem that works for everyone.
OLAF played a key role by coordinating efforts among the customs authorities of participating EU Member States.
Participating agencies:
European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol; organiser and coordinator); European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO; strategic and financial partner); European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF; coordinating partner)
Participating countries*:
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France (operational co-leader LUDUS IV), Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania (operational co-leader LUDUS IV&V), Slovak Republic, Spain (operational co-leader LUDUS IV&V), Sweden, United Kingdom, United States of America
*24 countries participated in LUDUS IV; 19 countries participated in LUDUS V
