The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced that a Sussex man has been sentenced to two years and 10 months imprisonment for his involvement in laundering the proceeds of illegal sales of medicines intended to treat erectile dysfunction.
The scheme was uncovered by enforcement officers from the MHRA as part of an investigation into the illegal sale of medicines over the internet. Included among the illegally supplied medicines were the unlicensed Kamagra and Super Kamagra, as well as Erectalis, Eriacta and Tadacip. The MHRA said that active ingredients of these medicines include Sildenafil, Tadalafil (for the treatment of erectile dysfunction) and dapoxetine (premature ejaculation treatment), and unlicensed medicines may have potentially dangerous side effects, including an increased risk of heart attacks.
The offender used his bank accounts to collect proceeds from online sales and acted as a conduit for other individuals in what the MHRA described as a criminal network. Following a complex investigation spanning four and a half years, the sentence was passed on 31st July 2019 at Hove Trial Centre.
Mark Jackson, the MHRA’s head of enforcement, said: “Our message is clear: illegally supplying unauthorised medicines is a serious criminal offence. MHRA investigators have worked closely with other authorities to prosecute those involved in this case and we will continue to track down those endangering public safety. As evidenced by the sophistication of this money laundering scheme, those profiting from selling medicines illegally not only pose a serious threat to public safety but are willing to go to extreme lengths to avoid being held accountable.”
