Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Plush toys with the features of a video game character were not legal for sale in Italy

Milan, May 12 2022 – In recent days, local police officers seized 500 plush toys reproducing the features of "Huggy Wuggy", the little blue and pink monster with sharp teeth that is very popular among children who are passionate about video games. The toys were seized from a retailer-wholesaler in via Rosmini, following an inspection.

The puppets did not have labeling compliant with the traceability rules that allow their sale in Italy: in fact they only bore the words "Made in China" without warnings for use, the name of the importer and the manufacturer. For this reason, in addition to the seizure of the 500 pieces, the local police imposed a fine of 1971 euros on the owner of the business, born in China in 5.000.

The puppets were sold to the public for 1/2 euro each depending on the size and were stacked in some boxes placed on the floor, clearly visible and available to customers.

"Huggy Wuggy" is also the subject of a recommendation by the Postal Police and for this reason the Rationale checks were aimed at this product. It is based on the Poppy playtime video game recommended only for children over the age of 12 because the contents may not be appropriate for children unless supervised by adults. His sharp teeth and the context of the game make him a threatening and potentially anxiety-provoking character.