Dublin man fined €22,000 for selling fake Viagra in his shop

A Dublin man faces a huge €22,000 fine (roughly £18,216) after submitting a guilty plea to stocking a counterfeit version of prescription-only erectile dysfunction medication Viagra, in addition to a variety other medicines at his bargains shop.

The 55-year-old from Woodstown Park, Knocklyon, pleaded guilty to 11 offences in breach of the Irish Medicines Board Act, after investigators discovered the products at his business, Breathnach’s Bargains, at St Dominic’s Shopping Centre, Tallaght.

The Dublin native was prosecuted after two separate inspections at the premises by an officer from the Irish Medicines Board (IMB), who swooped on the shop on September 28th, 2011 and again on April 11th, 2012.

Brenda Kirby, an enforcement officer with the IMB, informed Judge John O’Neill at Dublin District Court that she visited the shop and spoke to the man’s 26-year-old son after receiving a tip-off from customs officers.

Ms Kirby subsequently spotted a “large number of unauthorised medicinal products”. The 26-year-old male promptly spoke to his father on the telephone and he informed Ms Kirby the shop would promptly stop selling the products.

As many of the patients of Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy are fully aware, Ms Kirby stressed that the Viagra brand is produced only by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, and anything bearing this name that is not produced by Pfizer, is counterfeit. After Pfizer received a sample of a product seized at the shop, they unsurprisingly confirmed both the drug and its labelling was fake.

A whole host of medications are sent to Pfizer thousands of times per week by authorities and it only takes a few days to find out how genuine they are. Fake drugs can comprise of numerous disgusting and lethal ingredients such as brick dust, chalk, paint and pesticides.

Then on April 11, 2012, Ms Kirby went back to the shop and again found medicinal products on sale. The 55-year-old owner admitted to possessing Kamagra tablets – which are not licensed for sale in Ireland or the United Kingdom -  and counterfeit Viagra tablets.

He also confessed to selling other prescription items, these being Max Strength Decongestant Tablets and Vicks Sinex Decongestant Capsules.  Calpol in 100ml and 140ml bottles, Diarrhoea Relief Capsules and Beechams All in One Tablets were also being sold at the premises.

Judge O’Neill convicted the man and handed down fines totalling €22,000 to be paid within four months or a 21 day prison sentence will be enforced. His son pleaded guilty to three charges relating to keeping Max Strength Decongestant Tablets and Vicks Sinex Decongestant Capsules in stock for supply. He must donate €1,000 (roughly £826) to charity by May 27 to receive the benefit of the Probation Act, otherwise he will be convicted and fined a larger amount.

Kamagra and fake impotence drug sales land two men with prison sentences

“Yes I have had Viagra, I’ve used Kamagra”. This is the alarming and common statement Medical Specialists Pharmacy regularly hears from a large number of our patients.

However, Kamagra is not Viagra. Although both contain the active ingredient sildenafil citrate, Kamagra is not licensed for prescription, sale or distribution anywhere in the UK. Any websites claiming to offer such products named Kamagra or something similar should be avoided at all costs and are usually affiliated with large-scale criminal activity.

The fact Kamagra is unlicensed means it is usually manufactured in a variety of places around the world – often India – and you simply do not fully know what you are getting. The tablets may be manufactured in unhygienic premises and the ingredients inside them are anyone’s guess!

This brings us to The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) speaking last week regarding the haul of more than £600,000 worth of counterfeit and unlicensed erectile dysfunction medication seized back in late 2011 to early 2012.

The two men involved in the illegal activities were handed suspended prison sentences and must also carry out community work, after being found guilty of importing and selling the potentially dangerous substandard medicines.

Loughborough man Ryoma Ninomiya of Forest Road, was sentenced to 8 months in prison, suspended for two years. In addition, he has been ordered to do 140 hours of unpaid community service.

Alif Shahadaht Ahmed, of Moor Lane, also in Loughborough, was punished heavier than Nimomiya. Shahadaht was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years and also must do 200 hours of community service.

The MHRA investigation into the pair’s illicit dealings was initiated back in September 2011 after the UK Border Force had intercepted a large quantity of Kamagra tablets.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) started its investigation in September 2011 following a seizure of Kamagra tablets by UK Border Force.  Nimomiya and Shahadaht were using false names to import the drugs.

Between September 2011 and January 2012, 13,000 tablets in total were seized, including additional seizures of Kamagra tablets in addition to fake versions of two licensed erectile dysfunction treatments; Cialis and Levitra. The shipments were due to make their way to numerous addresses around Leicestershire.

Nimo Ahmed, MHRA’s Acting Head of Enforcement said: “This case shows that people risk damaging their health if they buy medicines from unauthorised sources. People should speak to their GP or pharmacist who can give them good clinical advice about what medicines are best for them. The MHRA is committed to pursuing those involved in the illicit supply of medicines and taking action to ensure the public is protected. These individuals were involved in a concerted conspiracy to supply counterfeit and unlicensed medicine and showed a blatant disregard for public health.”

UK trio appear in court after money laundering profits from fake impotence drugs

On Sunday three men appeared at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court and were sentenced to a combined 89 weeks in prison in relation to money laundering in excess of £256,000. This followed a criminal investigation conducted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The guilty trio were Michael Bowyer, 63, who was handed a 45 week sentence, David Fairhurst, 61, received 26 weeks and 50 year old George Lowe received 18 weeks which has been suspended for 18 months. All three were arrested in connection to the laundered monetary gains from a Cyprus-based illegal online pharmacy. The illegal activities were orchestrated by a UK criminal who had numerous illegal online pharmacy businesses selling counterfeit medication from outside of the UK.

The MHRA accessed illegal websites which offered counterfeit Viagra and purchased some of the fake pills. They then cooperated with expert financial investigators to begin unearthing the audit trail. After thorough investigations, it was found that the illegal businesses turnover stood at over £1 million over a three year period. The three men took proceeds from the websites’ UK bank account, transferring this to an account in Cyprus using various means.

MHRA Acting Head of Enforcement, Nimo Ahmed, condemned the activities of the convicted counterfeiters and said, “This case highlights the criminality of the people who continue to put profit before patient’s health. These illegal pharmacy websites selling medicines bought from illegitimate sources pose a real threat to people’s health because they simply don’t know what they are getting. We strongly advise people to protect themselves by purchasing their medicines only from sources such as legitimate pharmacies and to take prescription-only-medicines following an appropriate consultation with their GP.”

Ahmed’s comments echo similar warnings Medical Specialists Pharmacy have issued countless times previously such as back in February. Patients’ welfare is always at the core of our thinking, and we are strongly fighting against the high volume of illegally operated pharmacies that are appearing on the internet. These websites do not care for the welfare of the unfortunate men who purchase the dangerous and cheap pills, and more often than not you simply do not know what you are getting. We only have genuine branded medication and do not supply any illegal products such as ‘Kamagra’ and it is illegal to buy or sell this within the UK.

MHRA cracks down on counterfeit and unlicensed drugs

The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA) has seized fake and counterfeit medicine worth millions of pounds, as part of their crackdown on multi-million pound trade in fake and unlicensed medicines amid fears that the counterfeit and unlicensed drugs are causing potential health risks.
Investigators have been monitoring websites advertising Kamagra, an Indian version of Viagra, not licensed for sale in Britain.  Senior enforcement investigator Danny Lee-Frost says: “No-one involved in those websites is medically qualified. None of the products are licensed or tested. “

MHRA ceizes fake drugs

The operation is the largest internet-targeting enforcement action of its kind, with 80 countries participating in this year’s event, the MHRA said. Across the world, 55 people were arrested or placed under investigation. In conjunction with UKBA, the MHRA seized illegal medicine worth about £2 million, including 52,000 doses of counterfeit pills.

About 1.2 million suspect doses were discovered in or en route to the UK during a seven-day crackdown on rogue websites selling treatments for an array of conditions including erectile dysfunction, weight loss, hair loss, epilepsy and cancer. More than £5 million-worth of these unlicensed pharmaceuticals was found all over the world in the largest operation of its kind.

Nearly 13,000 websites selling fake drugs have been taken down by investigators from the MHRA. The Interpol-led operation, which concluded on Tuesday, came after two English schoolgirls were admitted to hospital with heart problems caused by weight loss pills bought online.

There has been a rise in the number of people purchasing drugs from these sites, as cash-strapped Britons try to save money. A growing number of people are diagnosing their own medical problems and buying medication online, which has led to a surge in trade in fake and illegitimate drugs that are being supplied without a prescription.

Bogus treatments for epilepsy, asthma, acne, narcolepsy, breast cancer, erectile dysfunction, weight loss, pain relief and human growth hormone drugs were found in raids at a number of locations including Brighton, Wembley, in north west London, and Ebbw Vale, near Cardiff.

Many of the drugs are made in China, Russia or India with the fake pharmacy websites being run by Chinese or Russian criminal organisations but the MHRA has discovered a pharmaceutical drugs factory in London.
The MHRA points to a recent survey of GPs suggesting a quarter had treated patients made ill by drugs bought online.

Its advice is not to buy anything off the internet without a prescription. Legal internet pharmacies should always ask for one, or have an online consultation service with a qualified GMC doctor.
Always make sure the pharmacy shows its registered logo and registered pharmacy number with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).

Men fined over sale of fake Viagra online

The former landlord of Hayes’ Tiger Lounge has been fined £10,000 for selling illegal medicine for erectile dysfunction online.

Saranjit Bhambra, 27, ran the ‘keepithard.co.uk’ website which has now been taken offline, selling illegal fake versions of Viagra such as Kamagra and Tadil, The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) launched the investigation known as Operation Rome following a test purchase. This lead to a search at a mechanics, and officers found evidence connecting to an illegal online website.

Bhambra, of Woodrow Avenue, Hayes, appeared at Southwark Crown Court last Thursday (May 26) for sentence, after admitting to the offence at an April hearing. At that hearing, identical charges against his father Narinder were dropped, and the judge warned that he could face jail time.

Mick Deats, MHRA Head of Enforcement, said: “While websites such as these may look professional, what we see behind the scenes tells a very different story. These unlicensed medicines were being sold from a mechanic’s garage which means they risk additional contamination due to the unsanitary conditions in which they were stored. “The unlawful sale of medicines, including those to treat ED, poses a serious threat to public health and today’s sentence reflects the nature and gravity of this crime.”

Bhambra was recently removed as landlord of the Tiger Lounge, in Dawley Road, after its licence was temporarily suspended for health and safety breaches.