MHRA uncovers $1m illegal ED drug haul

By Fiona BARRY

- Last updated on GMT

Online customers are prey to fake pharmacies, says MHRA
Online customers are prey to fake pharmacies, says MHRA

Related tags Erectile dysfunction drugs Drug

A UK man has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for smuggling illegal erectile dysfunction drugs following an MHRA investigation.

Sundeep Amin, 57, pled guilty to 21 counts of importing, possessing and supplying unlicensed medicines.

Officers from the UK medicines regulator seized nearly £900,000 ($1.4m) of unlicensed medicines from addresses linked to the man, who is from Romford, Essex, in southeast England.

The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) discovered Amin was registered as the owner of several companies and had rented a number of storage facilities across Essex.

Law enforcement seized “several large quantities​” of erectile dysfunction drugs en route from India to these addresses as they arrived in the UK, including one haul worth £100,000 ($155,000), seized at London’s Heathrow Airport.

The drugs were intended for UK and European customers.

As well as illegal importation, Amin admitted possession of a large amount of the Class C, Schedule II benzodiazepine Phenazepam, and to laundering money from his crimes.

Public health

Alastair Jeffrey, head of enforcement at MHRA, said, “Mr Amin had no medical qualifications and was dealing in unlicensed medicines, which is a lethal combination and a serious risk to public health.

His operation ran for several years and it is further proof that if you buy medication from an illicit source, you are handing over money to a criminal who has no regard for your well-being.

Our advice is simple. If you are ill and need treatment, a visit to your GP or pharmacist is the best course of action. Medicines should always be obtained from a legitimate high street or online pharmacy.​”

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