17,000 fake COVID-19 testing kits discovered in raids against illicit food and drink products across dozens of countries, have been siezed by the International Police (Interpol).
407 people linked to the seized $40 million (34.5 million euros) worth of fake or substandard products from 77 countries, have been arrested in raids carried out from December 2019 to June 2020.
Interpol said on Wednesday July 22, that some of the products include contaminated dairy products; meat from illegally slaughtered animals and food products falsely labelled as medicinal cures, disinfectants and even a shipment of seafood in South Africa originating from Asia, cosmetics, footwear, clothing, handbags, car parts, electronics, tobacco and medicines.
The agency’s secretary general Jurgen Stock said in a statement;
“As countries around the world continue their efforts to contain COVID-19, the criminal networks distributing these potentially dangerous products show only their determination to make a profit.”
AFP reported that this is the agency’s ninth year of coordinated Opson raids against counterfeit or substandard food and drink, which regularly seize thousands of tons of fake and potentially harmful products.
