On Tuesday, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that officers in Chicago stopped a shipment that contained more than 15,000 pills labeled as Viagra.
The shipment was destined for a home address in Michigan.
The officials seized the bottle containing 15,000 tablets marked and packaged as Viagra 100mg tablets on Sunday. The officials also found varying brands of honey mixed with sildenafil, the active ingredient of the little blue pill, which is the most commonly prescribed erectile dysfunction drug.
According to the authorities, if the Viagra pills were real and had they been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they would have been worth more than $1 million.
“The pills violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), which prohibits the introduction of any medicine, food, tobacco, or cosmetic that is misbranded or changed in some way,” according to the CBP.
The officials have turned over the pills to the FDA Office of Criminal Investigation for further evaluation.
Shane Campbell, area port director for the CBP in Chicago, said, “Our Officers are dedicated to identifying and intercepting these types of shipments that could potentially harm our communities.”
“Consumers do not realize the risk they are taking when using prescription drugs from other countries,” he added. “These non-regulated drugs could cause health concerns or even death.” Fake Viagra pills are often developed using the wrong or toxic ingredients that could harm your health.
