Anti-fraud investigators at OLAF just broke up an international smuggling group. Criminals tried to slip their illegal cargo past European border checks as children's toys to evade customs controls. But the boxes did not contain toys at all.
The cross-border network distributed more than 200,000 counterfeit condoms across the continent.
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Smugglers targeted three specific nations as their main entry hubs: Romania, Serbia and Spain. When the border teams intercepted the fakes, it turned out they all come from a single source in China.
The total black market value of the illegal shipment sits at over 200,000 euros but potential health costs would be much higher. The European Anti-Fraud Office warns these fakes are untested and unsafe. Or, in plain English, they spread infections and cause unplanned pregnancies.
But there is a bigger picture here. Fake condoms are just one part of a massive black market boom across the continent.
Last year, a global Interpol crackdown seized 57 million euros worth of counterfeit medicines. Police confiscated 50 million doses of unapproved drugs. Across Europe, the main targets were fake weight-loss pens and cosmetic and performance-enhancing peptide supplements.
For distribution, criminals do not even need to use the dark web anymore. They simply flood social media to sell their knockoffs straight to your feed.
Brussels claims this raid proves European enforcement works. But it shows how criminals exploit the system. The continent still remains open to black market fakes. However, with countless cases going unnoticed, it might look like Europe is left without protection.
Watch the Euronews video in the player above for the full story.