Nine nabbed for smuggling fake Viagra from China
Nine South Koreans have been booked on charges of smuggling fake erectile dysfunction drugs, including Viagra, from China and circulating them on the local market, police here said Wednesday.
The nine, led by a 58-year-old ringleader identified only by his surname Sohn, are accused of illegally bringing in counterfeit versions of the drugs Viagra, Cialis and Levitra and selling them to local retailers between February 2012 and this year, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA).
The smuggling ring allegedly bought the fake Viagra for around 70 won ($0.06) per tablet in China and re-sold them for between 900 won and 1,000 won apiece, the SMPA said.
The No.1 selling impotence-treating pill Viagra, manufactured by Pfizer Inc., costs between 18,000 and 20,000 won per tablet in the country.
Without giving details on how many fake tablets were sold in the country, the SMPA officers said the counterfeit Viagra looked exactly same as the real pills.
The arrest raises public health risks as the counterfeit pills meant to treat erectile dysfunction for men have entered the supply chain, mostly in local traditional markets.
The counterfeits could cause side effects such as headaches, disrupted digestion and heart attacks and could be life-threatening to some patients, officers said.
The SMPA said it confiscated some 120,000 tablets of counterfeit impotence medication and requested the global police organization Interpol chase another suspect surnamed Kim.
The SMPA officers also said they plan to further investigate the case, suspecting that other stores or markets may have colluded with retailers to sell the bogus drugs to increase profits.