A man from Haywards Heath has been sentenced for selling unlicensed medicines and laundering the proceeds.
Mo Phipps, of Haywards Heath, West Sussex, was investigated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after he was found to be selling unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicines from an illegally operating website in October 2014.
The MHRA’s investigation uncovered bank accounts used in the illegal transactions and money laundered from the illegal sales.
He appeared before Lewes Crown Court last Wednesday (April 20) after pleading guilty to charges of laundering an estimated sum of £810,000 between May 2012 and July 2016.
The MHRA says that medicines sold in the UK must hold relevant authorisations for legal sale or supply. The authorisation process guarantees that the products have undergone testing to ensure that they meet required standards of quality, safety and efficacy.
Failure to hold appropriate licences is a criminal offence under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.
Andy Morling, MHRA Deputy Director, Criminal Enforcement, said:
“It is a criminal offence to sell controlled, unlicensed or prescription-only medicines without appropriate authorisation.
“In this case, the individual laundered funds from the illegal sale of unlicenced erectile dysfunction medicines on an illegally operating website. These medicines have not been authorised for use by the MHRA and their safety, effectiveness and the quality of their manufacture is unknown.
“My advice to the public is to only buy medicines from a reputable source such as a registered pharmacy.”
John Werhun, Specialist Prosecutor, Serious Economic Organised Crime International Directorate, Crown Prosecution Service, said:
“A significant amount of money moved through Phipps’ bank accounts and it is clear he was laundering the proceeds of the sale of illicit medicines.
“Phipps thought he could evade detection by using a different name and various bank accounts, but evidence presented in court proved he was responsible.
“The illicit sale of medicines is extremely dangerous - and we will prosecute these cases wherever our legal tests are met.”
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