Herbal remedy not a pick-me-up

NINETEEN people have been detained in a swoop on unauthorised impotency remedies. Eight suspects were caught in Almeria Province, with further arrests in Malaga, Granada, Cadiz, Sevilla, Alicante, Barcelona and Madrid. The pills were marketed as a dietary and vitamin supplement in order to dodge controls by Spain’s official Medication and Health Products Agency (AEMPS).

During the operation – aptly codenamed ‘Loves’ – investigators targeted health food shops, parapharmacies, wholesalers, suppliers and a production plant in Barcelona.   They found and confiscated stocks of the impotency remedy worth €20,000, Guardia Civil sources revealed later.

The pills came to the attention of the Guardia Civil during an international crackdown on illicit medication co-ordinated by Interpol. During subsequent inspections they came across the impotency pills and sent samples to AEMPS for analysis, where they were found to contain ingredients not listed on their packaging. These were contraindicated for those with heart conditions, liver ailments and eye problems, triggering a nationwide alert and the Guardia Civil operation.