Multi-national Coalition for Fake Viagra Raided

In September 2004, Pfizer, a US-based pharmaceutical company, submitted a complaint with the Chinese police authority alleging a person called Wang Daijun selling fake drugs, including fake ED drug Viagra and cholesterol drug Lipitor, to buyers in the US, the UK and other countries through mail. It was than discovered that a group of pirates led by a man called Li Wenhui, a resident of Tianjin, North China, mailed fake drugs to oversea buyers in the name of Wang Daijun.

In August 2005, Beijing office of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) informed the Chinese police authority that "Wang Daijun" was supplier of an American Richard Cowley, who was investigated on suspicion of selling fake Viagra in the US and the UK.

After exchanging information with law enforcement authorities of the US, the UK and other countries, the policy authority of Tianjin municipal arrested Li Wenhui and two other suspects. In total, 55,000 pills of fake Viagra, more than 70 kg raw materials, and a packaging machine were seized.

It was discovered that from March 2004, Li Wenhui and his assistants advertised in the Internet providing Viagra and other medicines. They formed a coalition with Richard Cowley in the US by mailing him the fake drugs and helping him with online sales to buyers in more than 10 countries, including the US, the UK, Switzerland and Israel.

On August 31, law enforcement officials from Chinese government and the US government went to Henan Province, Central China to trace the source of the fake drugs.

On September 2, the local police authority in Henan Province raided 3 manufacturing operations for the fake drugs. They arrested 8 suspects and seized 292,300 pills of fake drugs, 260kg raw materials, which was sufficient to produce 400 millions of fake drugs, nearly 600,000 packages with fake labels and 13 machines used for manufacturing the fake drugs.

On the same day, Richard Cowley was arrested in Sultan, Washington, the US, and his underground operation was destroyed.

In total, fake drugs with market value of more than 5 million US dollars were seized, and twelve suspects, 11 Chinese and one American, were arrested. The network of producing, exporting and distributing fake drugs in 11 countries was raided.