Illegal prescription medicines worth €430,000 have been seized in the Republic of Ireland as part of a global operation across 115 countries.
Over 142,000 tablets and capsules have been confiscated as part of Operation Pangea VIII, an international week of action to target criminal networks behind the online sale of counterfeit medicines.
The majority of medicines seized were sedatives, but they also included anabolic steroids and medicines for erectile dysfunction and weight loss.
The week-long operation from the 9th to the 16th of this month investigated eight websites operating in the Republic of Ireland, including five which were Irish-based, and almost 500 packages were confiscated at mail hubs nationwide.
Countries of origin
The main countries of origin for the illegal products were Singapore, the US, India and the UK. The operation was carried out by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), Revenue’s Customs Service and An Garda Síochána.
“Consumers are taking a significant risk with their health,” Minister for Health Leo Varadkar said in relation to the seizures.
Fifty per cent of the medicine sold by unregulated online retailers, he said, “is estimated to be unreliable and potentially harmful”.
The Interpol co-ordinated initiative resulted in 156 arrests worldwide with about 2,414 illegal websites being closed down through removal of online payment facilities or domain name registry.
“Laboratory analysis of products detained has shown that medicines being sold through illicit websites will often contain too little or too much of the active ingredient or may contain undeclared and harmful substances,” HPRA chief executive Pat O’Mahony said.
“So not only are people wasting their money but more importantly they are putting their health at risk.”