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A surveyor who planned to hawk coronavirus tests to construction workers has been arrested for selling the kits illegally.
The 39-year-old surveyor from Uxbridge, west London, was stopped while driving his car as part of a National Crime Agency investigation.
Inside the vehicle were 250 covid-19 testing kits. He was arrested under the Fraud Act 2006 for making false and misleading claims about the capability of the tests.
He told investigators he was planning on selling the kits to construction workers. He was released on conditional bail.
Nikki Holland, NCA director of investigations, said: “Criminals capitalise on fear and anxiety and they will exploit any opportunity, no matter how awful, to line their pockets.
“Illegally selling testing kits completely undermines the nation’s collective response to the pandemic and actually endangers lives.
“Anyone thinking of trying to profit in this way should take note of these arrests and that bringing these offenders to justice and ceasing their activities is a key priority across law enforcement.”
Tariq Sarwar, head of operations for enforcement at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said: “We are committed to working together with law enforcement to protect public health and prevent unsafe medicines and medical devices getting to the public.
“The use of products for the diagnosis of coronavirus infection in community settings, such as pharmacies, for home use, is not at present advised by Public Health England.
“There are no CE-marked tests for home use, and it is illegal to supply such products.
“The safety, performance or quality of the products cannot be guaranteed and this poses a health risk.
“We continue to encourage the public, and healthcare professionals, that if you spot any posts claiming to sell these types of products, these can be reported to us via our Yellow Card Scheme.”
