File photo shows counterfeit ‘Lepin’ toys in Beijing. — AFP photo
BEIJING: Chinese police have dismantled a ring accused of manufacturing some US$30 million worth of counterfeit Lego sold across the country, authorities said.
Police earlier this week raided the premises of Lepin — a Chinese toymaker manufacturing Lego knockoffs in the southern city of Shenzhen — arresting four people, Shanghai police said on Friday.
“In October 2018, the Shanghai police found that Lepin building blocks available on the market were extremely similar to that of Lego,” the statement said.
The toys were copied from Lego blueprints and sent to a factory in Shenzhen to be manufactured before they were sold all over China.
“Across more than 10 assembly lines, over 90 moulds had been produced… (police seized) some 630,000 completed pieces worth more than 200 million yuan (US$30 million),” the statement said.
Images from the Tuesday raid — posted on official law enforcement social media accounts — showed moulds and boxes that looked remarkably similar to lines produced by the Danish toy giant.
A Star Wars knock-off is called “Star Plan”, while sets released in conjunction with the new “Lego Movie 2” have also been copied and sold under the name “The Lepin Bricks 2”. — AFP