Counterfeit test kits for the coronavirus have been seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
The tests, which were shipped from the United Kingdom, included tests not just for COVID-19 but also for other illnesses such as meningitis, the customs protection agency said. The materials, seized Tuesday, were turned over to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for further testing.
“Counterfeit products have serious consequences to everyone,” Hans Leiterman, an assistant area port director for Chicago, said in a prepared statement. “CBP seizures of illegally imported counterfeit merchandise helps protect the health and safety of U.S. citizens, and the reputation of marketplaces involved in these transactions.”
The tests were packaged in clear bags, with several bottles with white labels filling each bag.
The federal agency warned people about purchasing home testing kits online, saying that testing for COVID-19 should only be conducted by approved state or local laboratories.
The customs agency said officers intercepted the shipments — which had tests marked for COVID-19 mixed in with other tests for various viruses — and turned them over to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for analysis.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act prohibits the interstate trade of any food, drug, tobacco product or cosmetic that is “adulterated or misbranded,” the customs release said.