Customs seizes 15,000 pills from Hong Kong advertised as Viagra

March 2 (UPI) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers confiscated 15,000 pills advertised as Viagra arriving from Hong Kong, the agency confirmed in a statement Thursday.

Agents in Louisville, Ky., made the seizure, which was headed to an address in Brooklyn, N.Y., and had an approximate value of $1.06 million, if the pills were legitimate ones of sildenafil, which is sold under the brand name Viagra and is used to treat erectile dysfunction and hypertension.

The 500 bottles each contained 30 pills, and all had labels stating they were manufactured in the United States, a claim Customs officials reject.

The 100-milligram pills were being imported from a Hong Kong industrial company, raising concerns they could be laced with dangerous contaminants or ineffective compounds and be of poor quality.

The agency did not say if anyone had been arrested in the case.

"This is a dangerous game consumers are playing that could have disastrous results," Customs and Border Protection field office director LaFonda Sutton-Burke said in a statement.

"Consumers are purchasing these prescription medications from other countries thinking they are getting them at a discount, when in fact they are purchasing an inferior product with unregulated ingredients."

The agency said it has seen an increase in shipments and seizures of illegal prescription drugs coming into the United States since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"CBP will continue to investigate and take action against counterfeit and misclassified goods that pose a threat to our economy and our citizens," CBP Louisville Port Director Thomas Mahn said in a statement.

"We work closely with FDA and other partner government agencies to provide comprehensive border enforcement in support of national security."

The agency seized 48,400 pounds of illegal drugs in January, the most recent month statistics are available for.