Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon

Local police in Beijing’s Dongcheng district announced on Tuesday that three individuals had been penalized for illicit sales of Beijing 2022 Bing Dwen Dwen mascots.

Officials in Beijing said that Bing Dwen Dwen mascots have gone viral amid the ongoing Beijing Winter Olympic Games, but they found some resellers were charging excessively high prices, which disrupted the normal market order. 

Three resellers were inspected and given administrative penalties, according to the local public security department. 

Police reminded citizens that related merchandise is currently being produced and sales will continue until June. They also suggested that citizens avoid paying high prices.

The local market regulator in Tongzhou district, Beijing has carried out inspections of licensed retail stores selling approved products related to the Beijing Winter Olympics in order to prevent price gouging, the Beijing Daily reported.

The Organizing Committee of Beijing 2022 said the current supply shortage was caused by a significant surge in demand. 

A reseller told the Global Times on Tuesday that various Bing Dwen Dwen figures and key chains are now being resold at four to five times their original price. “Every kind of merchandise is popular, especially the stuffed Bing Dwen Dwen figure,” said the reseller.