Hard Times for Fake Viagra Peddlers

Police in Europe have confiscated around 300,000 doses of fake drugs in the UK, Cyprus and Spain, following a lengthy investigation. According to European law enforcement agency Europol, gangs from Asia—Singapore and China in particular—have been importing counterfeit drugs to distribute them across Europe. Six people have been arrested in Spain and the UK for importing and selling a host of fake drugs—Viagra among them. "Unlicensed, untested and potentially laced with dangerous filler ingredients, fake medicine can put users' health, and even life, at risk," says Europol in a statement. "It is very common for counterfeit medication to contain no active ingredients, and often they are made using ineffective or dangerous substances which can cause liver damage, irreversible health problems or even prove to be fatal." Adding to the concern, many of these medications had already been purchased by consumers online. The latest seizure is the result of several months of international police co-operation.