More than 200,000 counterfeit condoms from China have been offered in Europe. The contraceptives were marketed under the name and with the logo of a well-known brand, according to a statement from Olaf, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation. The agency did not disclose the exact brand name when asked.
“Counterfeit condoms are dangerous. They are untested, unregulated and unsafe,” Olaf director Petr Klement said in the statement. Such products enable the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. The fake condoms do not meet EU quality standards for medical goods, when it comes to tests for shelf life, stability, or contamination.
False condoms passed off as toy shipments
The European agency has traced the smuggling route of the fake condoms, the statement continues. Olaf, together with customs authorities in Romania, Serbia and Spain, examined seized products after receiving initial tips from national authorities.
The counterfeit condoms, with an estimated market value of more than €200,000, originated from the same source in China and had been falsely labeled as toys. Olaf was able to identify the exporters of the shipments in cooperation with Chinese authorities.
