Mar 15, 2020 - Health

Federal officers seize coronavirus test kits they suspect to be fake

The fake coronavirus test kit

Photo: Customs and Border Protection/Twitter

Customs and Border Protection officers at Los Angeles International Airport's mail facility have intercepted a package of suspected counterfeit test kits for the novel coronavirus that arrived from the United Kingdom, the CBP said in a statement Saturday.

The big picture: The CBP officers discovered six plastic bags containing various vials last Thursday while examining a parcel marked "Purified Water Vials" with a declared value of $196.81, the statement said. "A complete examination of the shipment, led to the finding of vials filled with a white liquid and labeled 'Corona Virus 2019nconv (COVID-19)' and 'Virus1 Test Kit,'" the CBP added. The shipment was turned over to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for analysis.

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