145,000 sexual enhancement pills seized

AMMAN — The Jordan Customs Department (JCD) on Wednesday said its agents seized 145,000 sexual enhancement pills illegally smuggled in a container coming to Aqaba.

“One of our agents became suspicious of a container coming from an Asian country that was declared as containing tooth brushes and medical equipment,” a senior JCD official said.

Upon searching the container, the official told The Jordan Times, agents found a few boxes in the front of the declared goods and “behind it were more boxes of Viagra.”

Smuggled Viagra, which is used to treat erectile dysfunction in men, is seen as a public health hazard because users of such pills need medical prescriptions, customs officials have warned in the past.

Also on Wednesday, customs agents seized 49,920 pellet guns that were hidden in a container whose owners claimed it was loaded with household equipment and toys, according to the JCD official.

“We received a tip that a shipment of pellet guns was hidden in a container that was also coming from a foreign country and our agents were waiting for it,” the senior JCD official said.

Pellet guns are banned in Jordan by the Interior Ministry, the JCD official said.

In a statement issued by the JCD, the department stressed the importance of combating all kinds of smuggling in order to ensure “economic and social stability in the country”.

The cases were referred to the JCD prosecutor for further legal action, according to the statement.