Over 32,000 pairs of Chinese-made flip flops found to contain carcinogenic substances have been seized by Lubusz customs officials in western Poland.

The plastic shoes were secured before they made it to the Polish market.

Customs officials at the German-Polish border smelled a very strong, unpleasant odor coming from come cartons, opened the container and had the contents tested at the Wroclaw Customs Laboratory where it was determined that the shoes contain carcinogenic substances.

“When exposed to heat, the substance becomes a carcinogen,” stated Beata Downar-Zapolska, spokesperson for the local customs office. The substances mutate rapidly and are banned by the Economic Ministry as a production material in Poland.

The cartons containing the shoes will be transported out of the European Union back to China at the cost of the importer. (mmj)