Online drug sellers raided

Authorities not impotent to act

A series of raids have been carried out in the UK at residential and commercial properties where pharmaceuticals intended for sale online were confiscated.

The illegal trade in prescription and unlicensed drugs has been a boom industry online and late last week the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) raided properties in Essex, Kent, Lancashire and Middlesex.

Among the drugs seized were Kamagra, an unlicensed impotence drug, and a large number of ephedrine pills - a stimulant and appetite suppressant which is controversially abused to speed weight loss, though it can have potentially life-threatening side effects if misused.

Mick Deats, head of enforcement and intelligence at the MHRA, said individuals buying drugs online could be putting themselves at considerable risk.

The sting operation was the result of a five-month investigation into 51 websites selling pharmaceuticals illegally.

The MHRA currently has 13 ongoing cases against companies accused of selling drugs illegally online. Furthermore there are 118 live investigations that implicate websites, according to the Agency.