Polish customs intercept 1m-plus fake condoms

Customs officers in Poland seized a huge haul of counterfeit condoms en route to Europe from China that could have placed the public at risk of unwanted pregnancies and infections.

All told 1.5m condoms with an estimated value of €50,000 were intercepted at the Polish port of Gdynia, according to local news reports which have suggested the fakes were copies of a Czech brand.

The seizure is the latest in a string of fake condom cases that suggest the knock-offs are being produced on a massive scale, with the Chinese authorities reporting the interception of more than 2m condoms labelled as Durex, Contex and Jissbon last month and Ghana seizing 1m fakes in April.

Earlier this year, for example, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency (MHRA) warned that millions of counterfeit condoms had been imported into the country in the prior six months.

The knock-offs do not meet British or European standards, as they are often made using substandard materials and without adherence to any form of recognised quality control.