U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the nation’s international mail facilities are on the lookout for parcel imports of counterfeit COVID-19 test kits.
On March 17, CBP officers at Chicago O’Hare Airport seized a shipment of 19 test kits, which contained other alleged test kits for meningitis, IVF, MRSA, salmonella and others. The shipment originated in the U.K.
The agency forwarded the shipment to the Food and Drug Administration for analysis.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) prohibits the import of food, drugs, medical devices, tobacco, or cosmetics that have been adulterated or misbranded.
CBP officers at the Los Angeles International Airport seized a similar shipment from the U.K. containing fake COVID-19 test kits on March 12.
“Each seizure provides additional insight into past, current and future smuggling trends to assist CBP with intercepting additional parcels containing similar items that are harmful to our personal health and national security,” said Lesley Lukens, CBP’s chief supervisory officer at the Chicago O’Hare international mail facility, in a statement.
CBP reminded the public that authorized diagnostic testing for COVID-19 is available through certified state and local public health laboratories throughout the U.S.
