Yesterday morning a man and woman were arrested following raids in Bournemouth as Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) investigators searched a number of properties.
Substantial amounts of unlicensed medicine was seized including erectile dysfunction pills, HIV medication, and narcolepsy medication such as modafinil.
The arrests followed an in-depth investigation by MHRA enforcement officers into a network suspected to be involved in the illegal importation and supply of medicines.
Officers executed searches at four locations across Bournemouth. The suspects were arrested on the suspicion of money laundering and on suspicion of being involved in the illegal sale and supply of medicines. The pair have been taken into custody to be questioned by MHRA investigators.
MHRA is currently running the #FakeMeds campaign to educate people about the dangers of buying potentially dangerous or useless unlicensed medicines sold by illegal online suppliers.
Visit http://www.gov.uk/fakemeds for tips on buying medicines safely online and how to avoid unscrupulous sites.
Tariq Sarwar, MHRA's Head of Operations, said:
Our message is clear: illegally supplying prescription only medicines is a serious criminal offence.
MHRA officers have worked to arrest those involved and we will continue to track down and prosecute people endangering public safety.
Those selling medicines illegally are exploiting innocent people to make money and have no regard for the public's health or welfare.
Be careful buying medicine online, and if you are in any doubt speak to your GP or another healthcare professional.
Notes
- The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.
- All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure the benefits justify any risks. MHRA is a centre of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency which also includes NIBSC and CPRD. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is an executive agency of the Department of Health.
- MHRA's FakeMeds campaign url: http://www.gov.uk/fakemeds. Follow #FakeMeds on Twitter.
- The public is advised that they should take prescription-only medicines after an appropriate consultation with their GP. Only healthcare professionals can take into account the risks and benefits associated with every medicine
- When purchasing medicines online, we recommend people look for the distance selling logo and check our Medicines Seller Register that the pharmacy or online retailer is legitimate. Any websites selling medicines illegally can be reported to us online.
