LOS ANGELES (KSEE/KGPE) — Customs officers intercepted a package containing suspected counterfeit COVID-19 test kits arriving from the United Kingdom on Thursday at Los Angeles International Airport, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Saturday.
CBP officers found six plastic bags containing various vials while examining a package labeled “Purified Water Vials” with a declared value of $196.81.
A complete examination led officers to find vials filled with a white liquid and labeled “Corona Virus 2019nconv (COVID-19)” and “Virus1 Test Kit,” said Jaime Ruiz, Branch Chief for CBP’s Office of Public Affairs.
The shipment was turned over to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for analysis.
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Ruiz said the public should be aware of bogus home testing kits for sale either online or in informal direct to consumer settings.
Authorized diagnostic testing for COVID-19 is conducted in verified state and local public health laboratories across the U.S.
