US authorities seize counterfeit Viagra and Zantac at airport
Counterfeit pills used to treat erectile dysfunction, heartburn and stomach ulcers have been discovered at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), alongside fake luxury goods.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials confirmed on Monday, July 27, that it had discovered the haul of counterfeit products in a Hong Kong shipment of 99 boxes. The authorities said that the goods, if authentic, would have had an estimated retail value of more than $1.8 million.
The shipment included 2,160 pills Viagra (Sildenafil), used to treat erectile dysfunction, and 4,500 pills of Zantac (ranitidine hydrochloride), which treats heartburn and stomach ulcers.
Carlos Martel, CBP director of field operations in Los Angeles, said: “Trade in illegitimate goods is associated with smuggling and other criminal activities, and often funds criminal enterprises. CBP officers and import specialists remain vigilant in detecting, intercepting and seizing illegitimate products and enforcing all trade laws.”
The seizure comes as tensions escalate between the US and China amid a bitter trade war between the two countries and accusations of IP theft.
Earlier in the year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it was increasing efforts to stop billions of fake goods entering the country by increasing searches at ports and making legislative threats, in an effort to pressurise the Chinese government to take more action.
As part of that effort, the DHS released a report, ‘ Combating Trafficking in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods’, revealing the dangers of large volumes of counterfeit goods entering the US from China.
