Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency Seizes $31 Million in Fake Drugs

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of Britain and other law enforcement agents arrested 237 people and seized $31.4 million of counterfeit and unlicensed medicines between May 11 and May 21.

Of the 8.4 million doses of medicines seized, India was 72% of the source and China was 11%. The medicines included harmful slimming pills, controlled drugs such as diazepam, anabolic steroids, anti-impotence pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizers, and antidepressants. A total of $14.5 million of the global seizure was in the United Kingdom.

"The medicines recovered during these raids were being held in appalling conditions, such as a dirty old building with broken windows, with medicines lying on the floor in bin bags," MHRA Head of Enforcement Alastair Jeffrey said in a statement via this Reuters article. "Criminals involved in the illegal supply of medicines through the internet aren't interested in your health; they are interested in your money."

The global seizure targeted 10,603 websites that are now either shut down or suspended, with nearly 2,000 of those websites based in the UK. Known as "Operation Pangea," the mission targeted internet facilitated medicines crime through investigating YouTube accounts and videos. As a result, over 18,00 videos were removed since the beginning of the operation last year.

The MHRA is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the United Kingdom by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe, according to their website. It is the executive agency of the Department of Health and also encompasses the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control as well as the Clinical Practice Research Datalink.

The agency warns of counterfeit medicines because they are detrimental to your health. Some seek the illegal supply of medicine because they either cannot afford to see a doctor or they are misusing drugs, such as painkillers. But the conditions in which these drugs are transported is unsanitary and the drugs themselves may be contaminated or contain the wrong ingredients/doses.

The MHRA will continue their investigations to solve the global problem of fraudulent medicines. You can read more about Operation Pangea in this news release.