A shipment of electronic rice cookers was loaded with counterfeit prescription drugs, including phony Viagra and Levitra, RCMP say.

The pills, some 2,400, were discovered on March 12 in a shipment from China.

The pill packages were hidden inside the devices but were noticed by agents from Canada Border Services.

RCMP estimate the pills were worth about $47,000. They added that, despite their realistic appearance — the pills were inside blister-packs with expiry dates and batch numbers — the drugs were counterfeit.

According to police, some of the pills contained no active ingredients and others did contain actual pharmaceuticals but four times the amount a normal pill would contain.

RCMP Cpl. John Montgomery said the discovery was the largest of its kind for authorities.

Montgomery added that the pills clearly had no quality control in how they were made.

"Often these fakes have fillers such as talcum powder, crushed wall board, other drugs or any other number of non-medicinal ingredients," he said, adding the fakers use everyday blue paint to colour the pills.

No one has been arrested in relation to the shipment, but police continue to investigate.