The owner of a chain of headshops faces up to 10 years in prison, fines of up to €120,000 or both after pleading guilty to importing illegal medical products and selling the “Viagra-type” drugs wholesale without a licence.
James Bellamy (64) told gardaí the drugs were herbal Chinese “Viagra” made from seal penises, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.
Tests showed some of the drugs contained anaesthetics, while the rest contained synthetic treatments for erectile dysfunction.
All of the drugs were prescription-only, and some are known to cause to seizures, comas and death in certain users.
Mr Bellamy, Castle Court, Killiney Hill Road, Killiney, Dublin, and his company Harmony Products, which is now in liquidation, was charged under the Irish Medicines Board Act for not having a licence to sell the products.
Documentation showed he imported 6,000 packages of the drugs, some of which were sold wholesale to other headshops.
The case was adjourned until next week so a statement of means for Mr Bellamy can be produced. Judge Patricia Ryan warned this did not mean she was ruling out a jail sentence.