Authorities in Vietnam raided a factory near Ho Chi Minh City that was reportedly repacking used condoms for resale. Police said they had confiscated nearly 320,000 recycled condoms.
Inspectors in Vietnam's Binh Doung province began their investigation and surveillance of the factory after receiving reports it was repacking used condoms. According to a report from state-owned newspaper Tuoi Tre, authorities arrested the factory's owner.
The 34-year-old woman reportedly said she had bought the used condoms from another supplier. The factory apparently received regular shipments of used condoms each month from the unidentified person.
The woman said she was paid $0.17 cents for every kilogram of condoms she cleaned and repacked. Police said they confiscated more than 360 kilograms of condoms.
Workers at the factory washed the used condoms and then reshaped them to look new. They were then packaged in plastic bags and sold at markets.
State broadcaster VTV took video of the factory and bags filled with condoms as well as tools used to wash and reshape condoms. It showed containers for boiling used condoms and wooden tools for reshaping.
Authorities said they were not sure how many used condoms were sold. Investigators are trying to identify the stores supplied by the factory.
Health officials said people that had used the repackaged condoms were exposed to health risks. Despite being washed, the condoms could still contain traces of sexually transmitted diseases.
