Demon Slayer Counterfeit Ring Leads to 8 Arrests in Japan

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has become one of the hottest commodities in the anime fandom, and it shows. From the manga to the anime, fans can’t get their hands on enough merchandise to satisfy their cravings. Of course, that is why collectibles and figures have become a go-to purchase for fans of the series but buyers be warned! There is a fair share of counterfeit items out there, and one ring that sold such figures was just busted by police in Japan.

According to a report by Anime News Network, a set of three police forces in Japan banded together to arrest eight people who are accused of selling counterfeit merchandise. The prefectural forces in Kyoto, Hyoggo, and Akita gathered to apprehend the suspects.

The report indicates the majority arrested hailed from Kyoto. Police say each of the suspects is believed to have sold 4-12 figures online despite knowing they weren’t licensed by the anime’s IP holder. Several of the suspects admitted they bought the counterfeit Demon Slayer figures from an overseas venue while one denied the accusations; They claim they were unaware of the figure’s bootleg status at the time of sale.

Currently, police believe a total of 44 figures were sold illicitly to the tune of $550 USD. The pieces that were sold are fairly coveted by fans given their exclusive nature. The report says all of the figures sold were replicas of those available through lotteries and claw machine games. There is no word on how the case will proceed moving forward, but fans of Demon Slayer are glad to know one less counterfeit ring is out in the wild trying to dupe them.

These arrests come ahead of Demon Slayer‘s big return to the screen later in October. Following the stellar debut of its first season, the anime will explore its Mugen Train arc in a full-fledged film starting October 16 in Japan. A special one-shot manga will accompany the film as a prequel, and fans are hoping another TV season will follow up this movie before too long.

What do you make of this Demon Slayer case? Have you ever accidentally bought a knock-off anime figure? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.