2 Philadelphia Men Indicted For Trafficking Fake Viagra, Cialis Pills
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Federal authorities are now talking about their stepped-up efforts to keep counterfeit pharmaceuticals off the streets of the Delaware Valley after two Philadelphia men were indicted for allegedly trafficking in bogus sex pills.
A federal grand jury recently indicted the two men after federal authorities confiscated nearly 20,000 fake Viagra and Cialis pills worth tens of thousands of dollars on the street.
Counterfeit pills are manufactured overseas, smuggled into the United States, and then sold over the Internet, at flea markets, and out of the trunks of cars.
John Kelleghan, Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") special agent in charge of homeland security investigations in Philadelphia, says fake pills won't cure your health issues and in many cases can do more harm.
"You want to make sure that what you're taking is real and safe, and if there's ever a concern or a question, you should be consulting with your doctor or your local pharmacy before you ingest something that you're not sure of," he says.
Typically, Kelleghan says, counterfeit pills are cheaper, bought by people looking to save a buck. And in many cases, he adds, they look like and are packaged identically to the real thing.
Reported by Brad Segall, KYW Newsradio 1060
