Toronto man arrested after 'prohibited COVID-19 testing kits' shipped to U.S.
43-year-old facing fraud charges
A Toronto man is facing fraud charges after allegedly shipping "prohibited COVID-19 testing kits" to the United States, police say.
Toronto investigators said in a news release that on Wednesday, they received word from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about a parcel that was intercepted at the Canada-U.S. border.
Police say that parcel contained "25 individual prohibited COVID-19 testing kits."
When asked if the kits were fake, Toronto police spokesperson Meghan Gray said: "They are considered prohibited as there are no kits that have been approved for personal use in Canada."
Gray said police are working with the United States Food and Drug Administration to "determine the legitimacy of the products."
According to the news release, Toronto police investigators worked with other agencies, including Canada Post, to determine that more parcels had been sent from a Toronto address, and "several parcels of prohibited COVID-19 tests were shipped across Canada and into the United States."
On Thursday, a 43-year-old Toronto man was arrested and charged with fraud under $5,000 and possession of a forgery device. He is scheduled to appear in court on May 28.
"Toronto Police would like to remind the public to be extra vigilant when it comes to those trying to sell or provide products or services associated to COVID-19," police said in a statement.
"There are no legitimate 'home test kits' available."