Police said the man had illegally imported the tablets labelled Vega 100 from India without importation permit when he was arrested at the airport on Sunday evening.
He told police he intended to sell the tablets, each at Sh100 in the black market where the demand is high. He was detained by officials from Pharmacy and Poisons Board and police is expected in court Tuesday.
Police say the seizure shows the demand is high. Such tablets are used to enhance sexual energy in men. Airport CID boss Joseph Ngisa said whereas the drugs are genuine, the suspect was not permitted to import them.
“He will appear in court on Tuesday,” said Ngisa.
Pharmacy and Poisons Board’s director of Inspectorate, Surveillance and Enforcement Dr. Ahmed Mohammed, whose team made the big bust, said they will subject the seized drugs to tests to confirm whether they are genuine sex-boosters or not.
He warned that many Kenyans are using sex-enhancing drugs available in the black market without doctors’ prescription, increasing their risks of being hit by heart attacks, strokes or even death.
“Such drugs should only be administered to people who have erectile dysfunction to boost their performance in bed. But many Kenyans without erectile dysfunction are using these drugs without prescription, exposing themselves to great risk,” he cautioned Monday.
He said that there have been reported cases of heart attacks and deaths in Kenya and other parts of the world as a result of people misusing sex-enhancing drugs by consuming them without medical prescription.
The Board’s Deputy Registrar Dr. Fred Siyoi said that three suspected perpetrators of the smuggling operation have been arrested and would face legal action.
But he lamented that the current laws allows offenders to get away from token fines and short jail terms. He called for a review of the relevant laws, including the Anti-counterfeit Act to increase penalties for offenders.
He also revealed that the Board has began going after pharmacies that sell such unregistered sex-enhancing drugs without prescription to protect the health of many unsuspecting Kenyans.
“These pharmacies may only be interested in increasing their profits, but they are exposing the health of many Kenyans at risk. We are enhancing our capacity to deal with such a menace,” he said. .
The drugs are said to cost Sh100 a tablet and can easily be accessed by the general population in the black market as a “wonder drug” to boost sexual performance.
Dr. Mohammed said that sex-enhancing drugs are the most notorious in terms of being smuggled into the country as unscrupulous smugglers seek to cash in on the high demand.
“Kenyans are willing to do anything to boost bedroom performance. That is why they are falling into the temptation of using unregistered drugs or consuming them with proper prescription. But they are placing their lives at risk,” he said.
He added that they intensified their surveillance of the drugs after realising that they are being sold to unsuspecting Kenyans through the black market without doctors’ prescriptions.
In their website, the manufacturers of “Vega 100” describe the drugs as “effective enough to make you a champion in the bed”. They claim that their product can handle even extreme cases of erectile dysfunction.
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