Ljusdal bought fake respiratory protection: "Got over a hundred offers"

For example, to be able to sell protective equipment in the EU, a CE marking is required, a certificate that shows that the equipment is the measure of what it is to be used for.

SVT's investigation shows that there are plenty of fake ones in circulation and that municipalities and regions have purchased protective equipment in connection with the corona pandemic, mainly originating in China, where the quality can be very uncertain. Ljusdal municipality is one of those municipalities.

- We were really in need of mouth protection, but there just weren't such. That's why we decided to buy respiratory protection instead. Our regular supplier had run out of it. But we had received offers from other companies, ”says Olof Dahlstrand, purchasing coordinator at Ljusdal municipality.

The municipality did its usual checks on the company that sold the respirators. The order was made and the goods were received the days before Easter. But when the delivery was checked, one in the staff got a bad feeling and the breathing masks were never sent out to the staff.

- Fortunately, we had a warehouse left over from the big forest fire 2018 that the staff could use if needed, says Olof Dahlstrand.

After Easter, the municipality examined the certificates for the goods even more closely and it turned out that they were not genuine.

- We immediately contacted the supplier who took back the respirator immediately and said himself had been deceived by his supplier, says Olof Dahlstrand.

- We have learned a lot from what has happened.

Hear Olof Dahlstrand tell us why he does not think that this is a deliberate fraud by the suppliers.