Hong Kong customs officials arrest four persons for selling masks with dangerous bacterial count
- The masks – with bacterial count exceeding limit by 0.4 to 11.5 times – could be dangerous for the elderly, children or those with weak immunity
- Two brands came from Turkey and Nepal, while the source of two other brands are still under investigation
Hong Kong’s customs officials arrested four pharmacy directors on Saturday afternoon for selling masks that exceeded the limit of bacterial count by up to about 12 times.
The directors – three men and one woman aged 28 to 40 – were arrested from from Lockhart Road, Tin Lok Lane, and Spring Garden Lane in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay.
The Customs Department said the four brands of 50-pack boxes of masks were found to have bacterial count exceeding the maximum permitted limit by 0.4 to 11.5 times during a lab test, contravening the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance.
The face coverings, priced between HK$200 (US$26) and HK$499 for a 50-pack box, could be particularly dangerous for the elderly and children and those with a weak immune system, authorities said.
“These masks may cause irritation in the face and respiratory problems,” Philip Li Man-kai, head of the Customs Department’s consumer protection bureau, said.
