2,361 online listings of illegal health products removed, 360 parcels investigated
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Products seized include packets of African Black Ant, which were previously found to contain ingredients such as sildenafil.
PHOTOS: HSA
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SINGAPORE – A total of 2,361 online listings of illegal health products were removed in a week-long operation that the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) conducted with partners from other countries.
HSA said on Wednesday that it also investigated 360 parcels containing illegal health products.
From June 1 to 7, Interpol led an operation in which forces from 16 member countries of the international police organisation targeted the sale of illegal health products over the Internet, with a particular focus on sexual enhancement products in the Asia-Pacific region.
HSA said it intensified surveillance on local e-commerce platforms, Geylang hot spots, and parcels coming from abroad to detect and disrupt the sale of illegal sexual enhancement products.
The products seized include various brands of unregistered, prescription-only medicines for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Other products seized, including packets of Africa Black Ant, were previously found by HSA or other regulators to contain ingredients such as sildenafil – a prescription-only medicine used to treat erectile dysfunction.
Using sildenafil without proper medical supervision can cause serious adverse reactions such as decreased or loss of vision and hearing, low blood pressure and stroke.
HSA said it had stepped up online surveillance of illegal sexual enhancement products in the first half of the year because they made up more than half of online listings removed in 2022.
The authority said that from Jan 1 to June 7 this year it removed 2,171 online product listings that marketed illegal sexual enhancement products, up from 367 listings removed during the same period in 2022.
While surveillance and enforcement were intensified during the operation, routine enforcement efforts on the ground in the months leading up to it continued to disrupt supply in various hot spots, HSA added.
Products worth about $130,000 were seized in Geylang hot spots from Jan 1 to June 7. Six suspected sellers were caught and are assisting with investigations.
During the same period, 459 parcels shipped into Singapore from overseas were found to contain illegal sexual enhancement products, of which five were addressed to locations in Geylang. The purported sellers are assisting with investigations.
HSA advised the public to consult their doctor for chronic conditions such as erectile dysfunction, so that the appropriate treatment can be recommended.
Prescription-only medicines should be obtained from doctors or pharmacists with a doctor’s prescription as they contain potent ingredients that can cause serious adverse effects if taken unsupervised, it added.
Although the medicines and packaging look similar, products obtained from other sources can be fake and may be contaminated, or contain no active ingredient or the wrong ingredient or the wrong amount of the ingredient.
HSA also warned that products marketed with exaggerated sexual enhancement claims or promising miraculous cures for erectile dysfunction could contain potent medicinal ingredients that can seriously harm a person’s health. Those convicted of supplying such health products may be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $100,000, or both.
Those who encounter illegal, counterfeit or other suspicious health products are encouraged to contact the enforcement branch of HSA on 6866-3485 or e-mail hsa_is@hsa.gov.sg
