The European Anti-Fraud Office has uncovered a trafficking route used to distribute counterfeit condoms across Europe, putting the sexual health of thousands of consumers at risk. More than 200,000 condoms originating from China, falsely declared as toys, bypassed European Union quality requirements, exposing users to the risk of sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancies and unsafe chemicals and materials.
Strict standards bypassed
In Europe, condoms are categorised as medical devices and must meet strict health and safety standards, including microbial contamination controls, biocompatibility, leak resistance, dimension requirements, shelf life and stability. The counterfeit products from China bypassed those controls.
"Counterfeit condoms are dangerous," said Petr Klement, chief of the European Commission's anti-fraud office, in a press release. "They are untested, uncontrolled and unsafe."
Seizures in three countries
Fake condoms worth over €200,000 were seized in Romania, Serbia and Spain. According to the European Anti-Fraud Office, they were sold in Europe using the name and logo of a well-known brand. The office did not disclose the brand, where the products were sold, or how many of the more than 200,000 condoms had reached consumers.
"It is difficult to give accurate data, given the nature of illicit networks," a spokesperson for the European office told Euronews Health. As counterfeit goods are "difficult to trace", it is "difficult to inform individual consumers" who might have bought such condoms, the spokesperson added.
Working with the Chinese authorities, the European office identified the exporter behind the shipments but did not disclose its identity.
Source: Euronews
