Anti-Counterfeit Agency Nabs Fake Masks Worth Ksh21 Million

The Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA) on Thursday nabbed over 20,000 counterfeit N95 masks after raiding a leading hospital in Nairobi.

The masks had been supplied by a company named John Gray Ltd, and bore the logo of M3 Co.N95.

“The raid followed a tip-off by hospital officials about a suspicious supply by a company named John Gray Ltd. The consignment was delivered to the hospital earlier this week and failed internal quality and standard tests at the facility,” said ACA in a statement.

This comes as a major health scare when deadly variants of the Covid-19 virus from India are being confirmed in Kenya.

Read: Kebs Seizes Sub-standard Masks at Quickmart, Ruai

“We are living in unprecedented times of Covid pandemic with thousands of Kenyans dead and affected from Covid-19,” said ACA enforcement manager Lindsay Kipkemoi.

“It’s not only criminal to sell counterfeit personal protective equipment but morally evil to take advantage of this situation. These products pose health and safety risks to first-line responders and to consumers as they provide a false sense of security to users.”

The masks are generally preserved for healthcare workers due to their 95 percent efficiency at filtering aerosols.