More than £2 million worth of counterfeit healthcare products were seized between October 9th and 17th as part of Interpol’s worldwide Operation Pangea scheme, which involved 116 countries around the globe.

In the UK, enforcement officers from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) raided a lock-up unit and a semi-detached house connected to the illegal supply of potentially harmful medicines on the internet.

Falsified and unlicensed medication and medical equipment were found in the UK, including dermal fillers, modafinil and diazepam.

The team also targeted mail delivery centres and airports, as well as property, finding various packages containing illegal medicines and devices, many of which were hidden in items such as clothing and video games. Alastair Jeffrey, head of enforcement with the MHRA, said: “Criminals who sell medicines over the internet have absolutely no regard for your health and taking medicine which is ether falsified or unlicensed puts you at risk of serious harm.

“Our intelligence-led enforcement operations have seized millions of counterfeit and unlicensed medicines and devices in the UK. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and we will continue to take action against known criminals.”

It was also revealed this month (October) that nearly 10,000 sexually transmitted infection and HIV test kits have been seized by the MHRA since 2015, test kits that could provide unreliable and false results if used. This in turn could lead to a rise in diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis, as well as HIV. Marketplaces on the internet are often where these potentially unsafe kits are sold.

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