Facebook users circulated images showing hundreds of wrapped and unwrapped condoms, with a claim that they show used condoms being re-packed for resale.

But the claim is false, as an investigation into the images showed they are related to events from several years ago in China and Vietnam, not Kenya, according to the fact-checking service of Agence France-Presse.

The agency stated that the photos were posted on Facebook on March 17, and have been shared repeatedly since then.

The accompanying text with the images said: "Nairobi, used condoms are washed, re-packed, and sold as contraceptives."
 

The post includes pictures of bags and boxes appearing to be filled with wrapped and unwrapped condoms. One photo shows packages bearing what resembles the Durex brand of condoms in blue and white colors.

Reverse image searches conducted by Agence France-Presse showed that none of these photos are from Kenya, nor are they recent.

The agency also revealed that one of these photos was also posted with a similar claim in Cameroon last year.

But the photo was originally published on the Canadian French news site TVA Nouvelles in September 2020, linked to an article about a police raid in Vietnam that resulted in the seizure of more than 345,000 used condoms being cleaned and re-packaged for resale.

The article quoted Vietnam Television (VTV) and included images from the channel's report on the raid.

The agency said that tracking the other pictures showed they were originally published in 2018, about police confiscating fake condoms in China.

The articles attribute the photo to a post on the Chinese social media platform "WeChat" as the source of the image, regarding a police campaign in Hebei province on August 2, 2018.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns on its website that condoms should not be reused.