A Thai police raid on a recycling factory on Monday made the revolting discovery that used face masks were being repackaged in boxes to be sold as new. The operation in central Thailand’s Saraburi province was prompted by a tip off that the facility was exploiting the current face mask shortage in Asia because of the spread of the coronavirus, and was putting public safety at risk. Officers found six workers sorting through the masks, ironing and refolding them to make them look fresh. They said they had received the stash from a dealer who had not revealed their origin. The workers themselves were reportedly being paid a pittance, at about 3p per mask. They claimed they recycled around 300-400 masks day.

The Thaiger website reported that thousands of masks were found in washing machines, and thousands more piled up and waiting to be packed. The masks have been sent to the ministry of commerce to investigate where they came from. Somsak Kaewsena, the investigating officer, said that the factory could face charges “as its operation could jeopardise the health of people who buy the masks as well as those in the [local] community”. The Thai public, as in many Asian countries, has been pressuring the government to provide more masks to protect people from the spread of Covid-19 even though public health officials have stressed that frequent hand washing is the best method of prevention.