Two UK men jailed for fake Durex conspiracy

Two men have received a suspended jail sentence - plus financial and other penalties - for trading in counterfeit condoms.

Kanisham Kapour (46)  and Ahmeed Singh Manocha (49) have been sentenced to eight-month prison sentences suspended for two years, as well as 200 hours of unpaid work, and banned from serving as a director of any company for seven years.

The court also made a confiscation order against each defendant of around £15,000 ($25,000) while both men have to pay costs of roughly £10,600.

An investigation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) found that Kapour and Manocha - who were directors of a company called Trade Express UK Ltd - were involved in importing counterfeit Durex condoms into the UK.

The UK Border Agency seized 25,200 packs of counterfeit Durex condoms at Felixstowe port in May 2012 as they were imported from China, and the men pleaded guilty to the offense on January 3, 2014.

John Wilkinson, the MHRA's Director of Medical Devices, said: "People should ... be aware that if they buy condoms from illicit websites there is no guarantee that the product that arrives will be safe to use or of good quality."

"Counterfeit condoms look real but they are badly made and anyone using one has a higher risk of catching a sexually transmitted disease or having an unwanted pregnancy," he added.