A court in Benin has jailed seven senior staff of pharmaceutical companies on charges of selling illicit medicines.

The case sets a precedent in the fight against fake medicines in West Africa.

Medicines are considered fake when they lack a crucial ingredient or contain lower levels of it than claimed. They are sold in packaging which is often identical to the real thing.

The seven men work for wholesalers importing all kinds of medicines – ranging from painkillers to anti-malarials – for sale in Benin and the region.

They were jailed for four years and fined a total of 100 million CFA Francs ($190,000; £136,000). Two other defendants were given six-month jail sentences.

Cotonou is one West Africa’s biggest ports. In the past year, Benin’s police have staged many raids on fake drug stores.

The country wants to shed its image as a crossroads for counterfeit goods. (BBC)