Authorities in Vietnam arrested four men on June 5 for allegedly running a fake condom and lubrication production facility valued at 6 billion dong (US$258,000.)
Police in Ho Chi Minh City raided several locations in the city and uncovered a substantial number of fake condoms and lubricants being manufactured and stored, VN Express reported.
The leader of the group was identified as Truong Chi Thanh, who confessed to producing and distributing fake condoms throughout Vietnam.
In January, Truong had been caught with more than 120,000 fake condoms and lubricants that were set to be packaged as popular brands such as Durex. More than 60 kilograms of raw materials were also found at the scene.
The operation was expanding when authorities started investigating the group.
According to a survey by Vietnam’s Ministry of Health, 85% of the condoms sold in the country were not distributed by the original brands. About 500-600 million condoms are used in Vietnam every year. The survey also found that most buyers only consider the designs, fragrances and the price of the product, ignoring the quality.
Dr Kristan Schoultz, the Country Director for UNAIDS Vietnam, said fake condoms were not sterilized up to standards. Users of such condoms may transmit bacteria to their partners even if they use them properly.