US seizes 23,000 pills of India-made sildenafil citrate, active ingredient in Viagra

Washington, July 31

The US customs officials have seized over 23,000 pills of India-made sildenafil citrate, an active ingredient in the prescription drug Viagra, with a suggested retail price of USD 712,756.

The pills weighing about 20 kg were in blister packs, indicating that they had been manufactured in India, and all were headed to an apartment in Decatur, Georgia, officials of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said on Friday.

The shipment, seized in Cincinnati, originated from an apartment residence in India, it said.

Prescription medications are restricted by the US Food and Drug Administration and cannot be imported into the US without proper documentation and labelling.

It provides basic import information about admissibility requirements and the clearance process for e-commerce goods and encourages buyers to confirm that their purchases and the importation of those purchases comply with any state and federal import regulations.

“Protecting our citizens from inferior products with unknown ingredients is a priority for our officers and specialists,” said LaFonda Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations-Chicago Field Office.

“CBP is entrusted with enforcing hundreds of laws for other government agencies, and our inter-agency partnerships are critical to ensuring the safety of the American people,” he added. PTI