The Spanish police today announced the arrest of 47 people, including a Portuguese, involved in a drug trafficking network for sexual dysfunction from Asia to several European countries, including Portugal.

In a “major operation” against illegal drug trafficking in several Spanish provinces, 47 people were arrested, “all of whom are Spanish nationals, except for a Portuguese citizen”, who were accused of crimes against public health, belonging to a criminal organization, fraud, smuggling and money laundering.

According to a statement from the Civil Guard (corresponding to the GNR), the sale of illegal drugs was made throughout Spain, as well as in countries such as Portugal, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Russia.

The leader of the criminal network was arrested in Dubai, where he was hiding, and was wanted with three international arrest warrants.

The chain imported large quantities of medicines from Malaysia, such as Tadalafil and Sildenafil, active ingredients diagnosed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, passing them on as natural food supplements.

12 home searches were carried out, 55 inspections of places of sale of this type of product, as well as 59 internet pages and 39 bank accounts were blocked.

“These products, once handled in our country [Spain], were intended to be sold in places such as gyms, health food stores, sex shops and over the internet”, explains the police statement.

The investigation started more than a year ago and was initiated by an anonymous complaint that caused several customs shipments from Malaysia, suspected of containing active ingredients of drugs without being declared as such, to be followed.