Kuala Lumpur, Sept 14 (ANI): After being detected in coffee mixtures and sweets, Viagra has now been found in fruit juices.
After raiding more than 30 retailers and distributors dealing in the fruit juice, enforcement officers from the Health Ministry in Malaysia seized several hundred thousand ringgit worth of the product.
This followed after the ministry sent samples of the product for tests which confirmed the presence of sildenafil, reports The New Straits Times Online.
Sildenafil citrate, sold as Viagra, Revatio and various other trade names, is a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction.
According to a Health Ministry source, this was the first time they had encountered a case where sildenafil had been mixed with fruit juices.
The mixture is potent and deadly to people suffering from heart disease and high blood pressure.
“It was brought to our attention after several people complained to the ministry about the suspicious fruit juice,” the source said.
“The producer and distributor had claimed that the fruit juice had been produced from selected natural herbs which could improve sexual performance of men and women,” the source added.
Following test results, investigations were conducted to identify retailers and distributors involved in selling the fruit juice.
“More than 30 simultaneous raids were carried out nationwide. Officers were also concerned that the retailers and distributors would hide their stocks as the product had also been sold via direct selling,” the source said.
“At the raid at the company’s headquarters in Subang Jaya, three marketing officers and the store caretaker were questioned by authorities,” the source added.
Investigations revealed that the fruit juice had been in the local market for the past six months and had received good response from consumers.
The consumer needs to mix the powder with water before drinking. (ANI)