Counterfeit medicines gang convicted
An investigation by the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has led to the sentencing of a man to four and a half years' imprisonment at Kingston Crown Court.
An investigation by the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has led to the sentencing of a man to four and a half years' imprisonment at Kingston Crown Court.
Three other men have also been found guilty, one of whom was also convicted of money laundering offences. The offences concerned the conspiracy to smuggle and supply counterfeit medicines into and, in some cases, out of the UK. The men were charged with masterminding the industrial-scale supply of counterfeit medicine between 2002 and 2005, involving millions of pounds worth of counterfeit Viagra, Cialis and Propecia. These seizures resulted in the MHRA unravelling the biggest conspiracy of the supply of counterfeit medicines thus far in the UK.
More than £1,500,000 of counterfeit medicines were seized. In the autumn of 2002, counterfeit Viagra was seized by HM Revenue & Customs at Stansted airport. This was followed by a number of other seizures at Stansted and Heathrow airports where false descriptions for a variety of products (for example) "Vitamins C & E", "Calcium for Kids" and "Samples of Mineral Supplements for Dogs" were used. The counterfeit medicines were filtered for sale through licensed wholesalers to pharmacies in the UK and through internet sites operating both in the UK and overseas.
In 2004 counterfeit Cialis made its way into the regulated supply chain reaching patient level, leading to a recall of the product from the UK market. The investigation traced a complex network of individuals, companies and bank accounts facilitating the movement of these medicines.
The men were part of the UK distribution arm of a global counterfeiting ring, operating from China, India and Pakistan, and extending to the Caribbean and the USA.
Mick Deats, head of enforcement at the MHRA, said: "The MHRA treats every report of a counterfeit medicine as a serious incident. We will continue to use every power at our disposal to prosecute those engaged in this illicit activity and confiscate the proceeds of their crimes. This successful prosecution should serve as a clear signal to those contemplating the supply of counterfeit medicines."