More than $1.8 million worth of counterfeit cigarettes and Viagra pills were seized after search warrants were executed Monday in Rosemead, Montebello, South El Monte and East Los Angeles.
Two people were arrested in connection with the yearlong multi-agency operation that led to storage units in those communities. Authorities found about 30,000 cartons of counterfeit cigarettes and more than 4,000 counterfeit Viagra pills -- valued at about $100,000 -- at facilities in East LA and South El Monte.
Photos provided by the sheriff's department showed small blue pills, resemebling Viagra pills, wrapped in paper.
The discovery led to a suspects' residence in the 9400 block of Ralph Street in Rosemead, where investigators recovered about $110,000 in cash, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. A 42-year-old female resident and 37-year-old male were arrested at the home.
Their names were not immediately available.
Counterfeit cigarettes can be difficult to discern from the genuine product, but authorities said the counterfeit items usually have poor quality packaging.
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