U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport seized Chinese medications on Tuesday, which falsely claim to improve COVID-19 symptoms.
Officials confiscated three parcels of Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang, a Chinese medication falsely advertising to treat the coronavirus.
Each parcel contained 9,600 capsules for a total of 28,000. The domestic cost of the medication equates to $28,797.
Though the capsules have been used to treat COVID-19 patients, their effectiveness is unknown and they remain an unapproved medicine in the United States, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
"The dangers of these capsules is catastrophic," Supervisory CBP Officer Lesley Lukens said. "It gives consumers a false sense of security, and the consumption of any medication without consulting your medical provider can be fatal."
After being seized, the pills were turned over to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation for further examination.
