Millions of dangerous medicines seized by the MHRA

Millions of illicit medicines with an estimated value of £4.6m have been seized by the UK medicines watchdog.

More than two million ‘dangerous’ medicines were seized by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) during a two-week enforcement operation – part of Operation Pangea XVIII, the ‘world’s largest coordinated initiative to tackle the illegal medicines trade’.

The MHRA said this year’s operation took place between 10 and 23 March. More than half of the medicines seized were controlled drugs and the remainder were prescription-only medicines in the UK.

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Products associated with sedation, pain relief, and treatments for erectile dysfunction were the most commonly intercepted, the agency added.

Alongside seizures at the UK border, the MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU) took action to disrupt online supply routes, targeting a wide network of websites, social media accounts and posts, as well as listings on online marketplaces.

Andy Morling, head of the MHRA’s CEU, said: ‘The scale of seizures in this year’s operation underlines the persistent demand for medicines outside the regulated supply chain.

‘Organised criminal groups are exploiting that demand and putting people’s health at serious risk. We will continue to take decisive action to protect the public and ensure that medicines available in the UK meet our strict standards for safety, quality and effectiveness.’

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Ian Kibblewhite, border force postal lead, said: ‘Fake and unauthorised medicines can be incredibly dangerous. Sometimes life-threatening.

‘By taking millions of doses off our streets, we are disrupting organised crime and protecting the public.’

The MHRA encouraged people to only buy medicines from regulated and legitimate suppliers, such as registered pharmacies, and to be cautious of websites or social media posts offering medicines without a prescription or at unusually low prices.

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Last month, the MHRA also seized more than 130,000 doses of steroids and unauthorised medicines that were being sold by mail order. These included products such as tamoxifen, finasteride and modafinil.

Several people were charged with offences including conspiracy to supply controlled drugs, supplying unauthorised medicines, and money laundering to the value of over £1.8m.