Woman arrested at Alicante airport with nearly 20,000 illegal erectile dysfunction pills

by Else BeekmanElse Beekman
erectile dysfunction pills seized

A 63-year-old woman has been arrested at Alicante-Elche Airport for allegedly smuggling close to 20,000 erectile dysfunction pills, in what authorities are calling a significant case of public health violations and smuggling.

The Guardia Civil and the Spanish Tax Agency made the arrest after an X-ray inspection of luggage revealed an unusually dense and suspicious cargo.

The seizure of sildenafil citrate

Police officers caught the woman, travelling from the Dominican Republic with a layover in Madrid,  attempting to transport the erectile dysfunction pills. These were all marked with the inscription “sildenafil citrate”. That is a common active ingredient in treatments for erectile dysfunction. The pills, all blue and diamond-shaped, were carefully packed into her suitcase, amounting to a total of 19,944 tablets.

Questions raised over legality

The officers immediately seized the drugs for analysis to determine whether they were counterfeit or altered in any way. The woman could not provide any documentation to justify her possession or transportation of such a large quantity of medication. As a result, the police took her into custody whereafter, the Court of Elche later released her on conditional bail.  

A growing concern for unregulated pharmaceuticals

This discovery has raised concerns about the illegal trade of unregulated pharmaceutical products entering Spain. Authorities have urged travellers to carry appropriate documentation for any medication they bring into the country. They point out that travellers should limit quantities to what is necessary for the duration of their treatment — a maximum of three months.

Ongoing investigation

The seized pills are now under examination by the Pharmaceutical Inspection Services at the Alicante Government Subdelegation to determine whether they are indeed counterfeit. Meanwhile, the investigation continues into the origins of this large illegal shipment.

Also read: Over 1,000 fraudulent dietary and health products seized

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