So far this year, the authority has checked 1.7 million items entering Sweden. Of these, almost 800,000 were stopped. Half a million have been destroyed, which is a record number.
Often these are products that are so dangerous that they cannot be returned. The vast majority are intended for children – toys, stuffed animals and children's lamps.
These are parts that can come loose, so there is a risk of choking or they contain hazardous substances, says Sukhwinder Kaur, who is an investigator and group leader at Swedish Customs.
We are getting better and better at stopping these types of products. But at the same time, it is worrying that we are seeing this increase, it is extremely serious.
Right now, pirated copies of the popular Chinese doll Labubu dominate.
Many of the Labubu copies have been found to contain dangerous substances, and it is logical that pirated copies are often dangerous, says operations expert Per Holgersson.
If you make a pirated copy, you don't have a department that deals with product safety. Then you usually ignore everything.
Harms the environment
Many people see it as harmless to buy cheap pirated copies, but Holgersson emphasizes that they can do great damage, and not just to companies.
Firstly, the consumer is affected if it is something that is dangerous. And this enormous import and consumption affects the environment, both where it is produced and where it is consumed.
Most harmful substances in products affect consumers in the long term. For example, Labubu copies have been found to contain substances that can make it more difficult to have children in the long term.
Sometimes they are directly harmful, as even customs inspectors can experience.
"In the investigation, I only felt them a little and then I got a rash," says Sukhwinder Kaur as she shows off a collection of gilded jewelry.
Elevator parts
Which products are stopped usually follows the general development of society. Since the full-scale war in Ukraine broke out, for example, large batches of small, substandard emergency radios have been seen.
– Imagine if there is a war and it needs to be used, but it doesn't work. And also that it may contain chemicals that shouldn't be there, says Kaur.
Another new category that customs has encountered this year is pirated spare parts for elevators and escalators.
"Once they enter the country, maybe an elevator fitter will install these brake parts. The scary thing is that you can't tell the difference. It's only when it breaks that you realize it's not working," says Holgersson.
2022
2,700,000 products were checked
192,000 destroyed
2,462,000 were sent back*
2023
777,000 products were checked
181,000 destroyed
409,000 were sent back
2024
1,615,000 products were checked
52,000 destroyed
1,110,000 were sent back
2025 (until November 27)
1,697,638 products were checked
790,529 products were stopped
502,185 products were destroyed
89,651 were sent back
The remainder is under investigation.
*The high number in 2022 was due to a single shipment of toys that was stopped following a decision by the Swedish Consumer Agency.
Source: Swedish Customs
