United States – A former student of the Manchester University has been sentenced to a prison for illicit importation and sale of medicines over the internet through outlets such as eBay and Amazon.
On Friday Antoine Christopher Kolias was held and ordered to serve 3 ½ yrs imprisonment.
Antoine Christopher Kolias Imprisoned
Kolias, 31, had a business management degree from Manchester, Southwark crown court was informed.
He was prosecuted after Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) criminal enforcement unit’s investigation identified him operating as a distributor for an existing unlicensed medicines dealer, and being the owner of his unlicensed business, as reported by The Guardian.
He had been supplying erectile dysfunction medicine sildenafil citrate which is a key component of Viagra, besides tramadol, zopiclone and pregabalin which belongs to class C.
The man had sold the products containing sildenafil on Amazon and eBay marketplaces，promising the product to have no side effects as a 100% natural cure for erectile dysfunction.
Kolias had designed and ordered his own packaging, selling the products under his own brand names: Vital-X, VigoreX and Vowex have been seen to be marketed for male enhancement.
He first cropped up on the radar of the authorities when UK Border Force officials seized several packages while conducting usual searches in the airports and posts.
The MHRA’s criminal enforcement unit, which gathers and processes information about criminal incidents to establish criminal use of medical products, initiated the probe, known as Operation Bentley.
Investigation and Seizures
It searched two residential premises and two storage units linked to Kolias in north London and Manchester in October 2019. In London, CEU officers seized 97,000 tablets, some of which are products used, which are erectile dysfunction treatment, tramadol and zopiclone.
laying that during a three weeks trial in May the jury learned that after soliciting the court and being granted a bail Kolias restarted his business in unlicensed medicines.
Continued Illegal Activities
The officers of the UK Border Force seized four other consignments which were also shipped from China and the vaccines amounted to more than 170,000 doses were also intended for his sister’s house.
The court also learned that to re-open his Amazon sales channel, Kolias had utilised the identity of a friend and then proceeded to sell products embedded with sildenafil citrate through the brand name Evoxa which was also his creation.
Charges and Conviction
Kolias was charged and found guilty of 16 counts concerning the supply of prohibited medicines between summer 2018 and October 2019 and in 2020-2021. These were: Being knowingly concerned in the evasion of a prohibition on the import of goods, Importing a medicine from a state that is not an EEA state, and being in possession of a class C drug with intent to supply.
Following Kolias’s conviction, the MHRA made a message regarding the methods used by the criminals to sell the medicines via the internet, and sometimes they create fake look alike pharmacy or retail websites or else advertise through the marketplace sites or social media networking sites, as reported by The Guardian.
“The MHRA urges the public to exercise caution when purchasing medications on the Internet,” a spokesperson noted, adding that, “Medications are not just any consumer products; their sale and distribution are regulated.”
“Websites that are not part of the legal distribution system may appear attractive for example, selling prescription medicine over the counter Without a prescription is unlawful in addition to being dangerous for your wellbeing.”