BALTIMORE – Officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 10,000 unapproved KN-95 respirator masks from Philadelphia on Thursday, June 4. In addition to these 10,000 unapproved KN-95 face masks, CBP officers at Ports of Entry across the Baltimore Field Office seized shipments of counterfeit coronavirus personal protective equipment (PPE) and pharmaceuticals.

U.S. Customs Officers examined a shipment of 10 boxes from Israel on May 15, 2020 that led to the discovery of respirator masks that appeared to be of poor quality and packaging. Officers detained the shipment and consulted with U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspectors and were able to trace the origin of manufactures from distributors in China, Hong Kong, Nigeria, UAE and the United Kingdom. The respirators were destined to arrive at disclosed addresses in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

FDA inspectors determined that the shipment violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which prohibits the importation of misbranded food, drugs, devices, tobacco products, or cosmetics. The origin manufacturer was not registered with the FDA and did not have an Emergency Use Authorization to import the KN-95 masks.

Registered KN-95 masks in the United States typically appear in this form.

Since May 16, officers at the Area Ports of Philadelphia, Baltimore, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and Wilmington in consultation with FDA inspectors have completed 12 seizures that discovered:

  • 25 unapproved and counterfeit COVID-19 test kits
  • 10 other counterfeit N95 respirator masks
  • More than 2,300 Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang capsules
Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang capsules (LQC) is a commonly used Chinese medical preparation to treat viral influenza.
  • More than 700 additional tablets, pills, capsules, and sachets of unapproved medicines, including Hydroxychloroquine, Oseltamivir, Zithromax, and Panadol
  • Nearly 4,000 doses of Huoxiang Zhengqi dripping pills
Huoxiang Zhengqi pills are used for colds due to exogenous cold, internal injury from dampness obstruction, and qi stagnation or summer heat and dampness.
  • Nine packages of Virus Shut Out lanyards.

“Predatory scammers continue to prey on consumer fear by peddling counterfeit, unapproved, and potentially dangerous products as legitimate COVID-19 protective equipment or medicines,” said Casey Durst, CBP’s Director of Field Operations in Baltimore.

CBP is withholding specific details of individual seizures at this time.