Counterfeit Medicines Supplier Sentenced, UK

Main Category: Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Article Date: 07 Nov 2007 - 5:00 PDT

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A woman who supplied counterfeit prescription drugs to the UK was sentenced to two and a half years at Croydon Crown Court.

Shazia Amjad, 39, of Crowell Lane, Uxbridge, was arrested as part of a joint investigation between the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and City of London Police.

Enforcement officers from the MHRA, along with officers from City of London Police, found counterfeit prescription drugs worth over £250,000, including more than 50,000 units of Ephedrine and a selection of slimming pills, erectile dysfunction pills, painkillers and anabolic steroids, when they searched Amjad's address in November 2006.

In addition, officers found twelve passports hidden inside a suitcase. A total of 30 bank and visa cards were also recovered during the search. Officers discovered that the drugs originated in Pakistan and were mailed over to Amjad, who was paid in cash. The money was then credited to a bank account in the name of Reena Khan, a pseudonym used in one of the false passports

The same day Amjad was charged with offences under the Identity Card Act. In July 2007 Amjad was subsequently charged with trademark offences, possession with intent to supply class C drugs and money laundering.

Mick Deats, Head of Enforcement at the MHRA said, "Today's result sends out a very clear warning that dealing in counterfeit medicines doesn't pay. The MHRA will continue to clamp down on those who flout the law and put the public's health at risk. People should ensure that they only obtain their medicines from legitimate outlets, e.g. their doctor or pharmacist. If people do not, then there can be no guarantee to their safety, quality or indeed that they work. At best these medicines could be a waste of money, at worst they could be severely detrimental to your health."

DC Wilson McQuitty, from the Force's Economic Crime Department at City of London Police said, "Shazia Amjad was exploiting people who genuinely needed these drugs for her own personal gain. Together with colleagues from the MHRA we were able to take these drugs out of circulation and seize numerous fake documents and bank cards which were being used to launder the money she was making."

1. The MHRA will be hosting a major international conference about counterfeit medicines on 22 November 2007 at the Hilton London Metropole. It will bring together key organisations, high-profile international speakers and strategic ideas on the problem of counterfeit medicines. The event will focus on international co-ordination efforts and the UK strategy and response to this issue.

2. The MHRA is the government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work, and are acceptably safe. No product is risk-free. Underpinning all our work lie robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits to patients and the public justify the risks. We keep watch over medicines and devices, and take any necessary action to protect the public promptly if there is a problem.

http://www.mhra.gov.uk