Cristina Hodgson
POLICIA NACIONAL, in coordination with the Provincial Inspection of Health Services of the Junta have dismantled a criminal organisation dedicated to the distribution of unregulated antigen tests.
Those arrested, four men, three of Pakistani nationality and the fourth of Moroccan nationality, ran three companies in an industrial estate in the capital of Malaga, where, under the name of a fictitious company, they distributed, among other products, antigen tests without complying with the basic sanitary regulations for storage, sale and distribution.
In the searches carried out, 25,000 tests were seized and to date 10,000 have already been distributed.
Due to the irregular storage, sale and distribution of the tests, health experts are concerned that the tests could give erroneous results and consequently pose a risk to public health.
Following the established protocol, the Andalucian Agency for Healthcare Quality (ACSA) has informed the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices, the main body responsible for supervising all technical and quality aspects of medical products, of the incident requesting the urgent withdrawal of all contaminated tests and trace those already used.
The ACSA has opened a health alert and has proceeded to contact the competent authorities of the country of origin of the supply and its distribution in order to gather all accurate information regarding the distribution of the unregulated antigen tests.
Meanwhile, the Policia Nacional have proceeded to arrest the four individuals allegedly responsible for the irregular distribution of the tests in Andalucia. All have been charged with the crimes of belonging to a criminal group, crime against public health, against consumer rights and fraud.
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