Man jailed in connection to illegal sale of prescription-only medicines worth £3.7m

A man has been jailed for ten years after illegally admitting to selling prescription-only medicines including opiate painkillers with a street value of more than £3.7 million, the medicines regulator has said.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said that Mark Robert Witchell had pleaded guilty to five charges related to the illegal sale of prescription-only drugs.

This included the unlawful supply of Class B controlled drug codeine, and Class C controlled drugs alprazolam, diazepam, tramadol, zolpidem and zopiclone between August 2013 and December 2015, it added.

The 61-year-old, of Stoke-on-Trent, appeared at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on 3 March 2026 where he was sentenced to ten years imprisonment, the MHRA said.

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The MHRA said that three others had also been convicted and sentenced in March 2023 with similar offences.

The group also sold prescription-only medicines, including Cialis and Levitra tablets, without a valid prescription, and supplied a range of unauthorised medicinal products including Kamagra, Apcalis, Aurogra and others, the MHRA added.

In addition to the drug supply offences, the MHRA said Witchell admitted to having facilitated the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

The regulator added that Witchell has also pleaded guilty to several other charges related to fraud following a police investigation, but sentencing on these will take place separately.

Witchell was arrested upon attempting to re-enter the UK via ferry following a 10-year period overseas in Brazil, the MHRA said.

The MHRA’s criminal enforcement unit (CEU) had sought Witchell’s extradition and work was ongoing to extradite him to the UK at the time he was arrested.

Andy Morling, head of the MHRA CEU said: ‘This case involved the large-scale illegal supply of powerful controlled drugs and unauthorised medicines, putting the public at serious risk of harm.

‘The fact that Mr Witchell spent a decade overseas thinking he had evaded justice makes this result all the more significant.

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‘These crimes damage and destroy lives, and this case sends a clear message that there is nowhere to hide for those who seek to profit from medicines trafficking.’

The MHRA said that Witchell admitted:

• One count of supplying a Class B controlled drug (codeine) contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971;
• One count of supplying Class C controlled drugs (alprazolam, diazepam, tramadol, zolpidem and zopiclone) contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971;
• One count of selling or supplying prescription only medicines otherwise than in accordance with a prescription, contrary to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012;
• One count of selling or supplying unauthorised medicinal products contrary to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012; and
• One count of being concerned in an arrangement facilitating the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) specialist prosecutor Ben Reid said Witchell had showed ‘complete disregard for the vulnerable individuals who purchased from his websites’ and the dangers of the drugs he supplied.

He added: ‘Relatives of victims described the devastating effects of addiction to drugs such as zopiclone on their loved one’s health and mental wellbeing.

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‘Organised crime has no respect for borders, and we worked tirelessly to obtain evidence from abroad on this case, as well as liaising closely with partners including Staffordshire Police and the MHRA.’

In November last year, three individuals were convicted for their roles in the large-scale supply of illegal medicines online following another investigation led by the MHRA’s CEU.

The investigation, known as Operation Lamborghini, led to the disruption of a multimillion pound organised criminal group operating a series of websites to supply controlled drugs and unauthorised medicines.