Counterfeit pills seized at airport

Counterfeit pills to treat erectile dysfunction - worth more than $220,000 - were confiscated at JFK Airport on Friday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, officials said.

Suspicious import paperwork for "Farsan Sweet Dryfruit" from Hong Kong led U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to examine boxes that contained more than 19,900 counterfeit Viagra and Snovitra pills, officials said.

In addition to financial loss to legitimate companies,"you don't know how these medications were made and whether they're safe for consumption," said John Saleh, a customs and Border Protection spokesman. "Some may be over-potent, sub-potent, some carcinogenic and some may have no active ingredients at all."

"The illicit trade in pharmaceuticals poses a serious health and safety risk," said Robert E. Perez, New York field operations director. "CBP officers in the greater New York [area] . . . are dedicated to their mission of intercepting unlawful items that adversely affect our nation's communities."