Elmaleh Faces Charges in Canada Over Penis Pills

MONTREAL — Alain Elmaleh, who operates the X-Citement Video retail chain in Canada, faces a court hearing on July 3 over charges involving the importation of penis pills containing various amounts of tadalafil, the active ingredient used in the prescription drug Cialis.  

Elmaleh and associate Alain Richer face 37 charges under the Customs Act and the Food and Drug Act after officials seized 130,000 pills in a commercial shipment in 2011 and another 120,000 tablets last year.

Both shipments' originations were from China.

The first batch was found at Montreal-Trudeau Airport, where authorities seized the shipments, and the second was found at Elmaleh's main office.

Authorities, according to the Montreal Gazette, said the products weren't actually counterfeit versions of common brands but were unique and unauthorized products that had not been approved by Health Canada.

"They didn't look like other, legitimate drugs," said Dominique McNeely of the Canada Border Services Agency. "They had very evocative names ... that left no doubt to the customer as what they might be used for."

Elmaleh, who owns X-Citement as well as retailer Pleasures 'n' Treasures and KayTel Video, told XBIZ on Friday that it simply is the case that the wholesaler that sent the shipments didn't list a sixth ingredient in the batches.

"We had no way of knowing this," Elmaleh said. "The pills [shipped in bulk without packaging] we ordered were to have five ingredients, not including a sixth ingredient."

Neither Elmaleh or Richer were arrested or subject to arrest warrants, but Elmaleh said that they would plead not guilty when trial comes around next month. He said that they've already paid $6,000 in fines to customs authorities over the two shipments.

Elmaleh, who has disseminated his own press release over the charges, said that the media attention has been overblown.

"This is a two-year-old story about pills stuck at customs,"  he said. "There was nothing provided to me by suppliers to know that they contained the regulated substances mentioned by the [Canada Border Services Agency]."

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Stephen Colbert Takes Aim at Texas' Crackdown on Sex Toys

Stephen Colbert is cracking up over Texas lawmakers’ crackdown on sex toys in the state.

XR Brands 'Silicone Body Forms' Highlighted at Paris Fashion Week

XR Brands’ Ripped Silicone Male Chest and Perky Pair Silicone Breasts were highlighted at 2025 Paris Fashion Week.

Age Verification Watch: Patching the Holes

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Eye of Love Introduces 'Matchmaker Collection' Display Planogram

Eye of Love has debuted a new display planogram for its Matchmaker Collection of pheromone-infused scents.

Fleshlight Debuts Taylor Vixxen Stroker

Fleshlight has introduced its new Pro stroker, molded on the anatomy of Taylor Vixxen.

Orion Expands 'LateX' Collection With 2 New Outfits

Orion Wholesale has added two new outfits to its LateX collection of fetish apparel.

Blush Debuts 'Unicorn Dreams' Vibrator

Blush has introduced the new Unicorn Dreams vibrator from its Play With Me collection.

Ofcom Fines OnlyFans Parent Company Over Inaccurate Age Verification Reporting

U.K. communications regulator Ofcom has fined OnlyFans parent company Fenix International Ltd. $1.36 million for inaccurate reporting of its age verification measures.

Cyberskin Debuts 4 New Strokers

Pleasure brand Cyberskin has introduced four new strokers.

Chappell Roan Gives Shout Out to Womanizer on 'Call Her Daddy' Podcast

Chappell Roan gave a shout-out to Womanizer during her guest appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, hosted by Alex Cooper.

Show More