More than 34 million illegally produced condoms seized in Changsha in Hunan
Founder of the firm that sold the items throughout most of China has been arrested
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 06 November, 2014, 2:15pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 06 November, 2014, 2:42pm
Nectar Gan [email protected]
Boxes of illegally produced condoms are stored in a warehouse in Changsha in Hunan province. Photo: SCMP Pictures
Authorities in Changsha, Hunan province, have seized more than 34 million illegally produced condoms worth 230 million yuan (HK$291.5 million) and arrested the founder of the company involved, China News Service reported yesterday.
The city’s Food and Drug Administration found 28 million semi-finished condoms and 6 million finished products at eight black sites in Changsha county in April. The condoms were sold in all provinces and cities on the mainland except Tibet, the report said.
The firm involved – originally called the Guangzhou Yudie Trading Company – was founded in November 2006 by a man surnamed Chen. The company, which had been producing condoms without a license, moved to Guoyuan town in Changsha county in October 2012.
Chen registered the company under a new name, Hunan Xindali Technology Company, in May last year.
According to news website hunan.voc.com.cn, Chen is a deputy of the county's People's Congress. It was reported that he owns four Land Rover vehicles.
Companies on the mainland are required to obtain a medical device manufacturing enterprise license before producing condoms.
Li Hong, the head of an inspection detachment of the Changsha Food and Drug Administration, told the China News Service that Hunan Xindali Technology Company commissioned two firms to produce a total of 182 million condoms, of which 100 million were semi-finished products. Those companies are now under investigation.
Hunan Xindali was also found to have put false production dates and other fake information on the products' packaging.
The national Food and Drug Administration issued a directive in 2010 demanding its provincial and municipal units strengthen the supervision of condom production. Local administrations were required to organise regular inspections of the companies and report the results.
