Customs officers at LAX seize fake coronavirus tests found in package from UK

by Anna Giaritelli | March 14, 2020 08:11 PM

Customs officials inspecting international mail at Los Angeles International Airport seized suspected counterfeit coronavirus test kits that were shipped from the United Kingdom, the federal agency announced Saturday.

Customs and Border Protection seized a package on Thursday that on the manifest papers claimed to contain "purified water vials" worth just under $200. Federal officers opened the package and found six plastic bags filled with vials. The vials contained a white liquid labeled "Corona Virus 2019nconv (COVID19)" and "Virus1 Test Kit."

CBP seized the package, blocking it from going to its final destination in the United States and sent the fake test kit to the Food and Drug Administration for further inspection, but did not identify who ordered the bogus tests or how many were inside the package.

“This significant interception, at a time when the U.S. is in the midst of a National Emergency, demonstrates our CBP officers’ vigilance and commitment to ensure dangerous goods are intercepted and not a threat to our communities and our people," Carlos Martel, CBP director of field operations in Los Angeles, said in a statement.

The agency said authorized diagnostic testing for the COVID-19 virus is conducted in verified state and local public health laboratories across the United States.

CBP warned the public to be wary of bogus home testing kits for sale online or in store.

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Video at source.