Twelve arrested in MHRA’s biggest ever crackdown on organised medicines trafficking

Yesterday (29 April) officers from West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit, West Midlands Police, the North West Regional Organised Crime Units, the National Crime Agency, Staffordshire Police and Greater Manchester Police supported the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in a day of coordinated enforcement activity, codenamed ‘Operation Subaru’.

Warrants were executed at a number of business and residential premises across the West Midlands and Northwest of England in the largest criminal investigation into organised medicines trafficking in the history of the MHRA.

Around 150 officers were deployed arresting twelve suspects on suspicion of participating in the activities of an organised crime group, conspiracy to sell or supply controlled drugs and unlicensed medicines, and money laundering, and searching numerous locations and vehicles.

Searches led to the recovery of hundreds of thousands of doses of medicines (including controlled drugs such as opioid painkillers and anti-anxiety medicines), together with around £100,000 in cash, luxury watches and suspected criminal assets held in cryptocurrency. The MHRA has also obtained restraint orders for more than £3.5 million in assets suspected to be linked to criminal activity.

DI Jon Green from West Midlands ROCU states: “This is an excellent example of law enforcement agencies working together to disrupt organised criminality and safeguard the public.

We would urge the public to follow guidance issued by the MHRA in order to protect themselves and others, and only obtain medicines from a registered pharmacy when a prescription is issued by a healthcare professional. Taking medicines sourced in any other way carries a serious risks to your health as there is no guarantee about what they contain. FakeMeds: Safely buy medication online

My thanks go to all officers involved in this operation and notably the MHRA who have owned and driven this protracted and complex investigation over a significant period of time.”