The illegal trade in counterfeit ED medications remains a significant problem worldwide. Signs point to increased involvement by organized crime.
Reports that the U.K. Border Force in 2018 seized more than £13 million ($16.8 million) in counterfeit Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs is yet another sign that the trade in counterfeit medications is still alive and well.
The Border Force, a law enforcement arm of Britain’s Home Office, also seized more than £2.5 million ($3.2 million) worth of other illegal medicines, including treatments for cancer, hair loss, HIV, and weight loss, in 2018.
1 in 10 Britons Bought Fake Drugs
In its report on 2018 illegal drug seizures, the Border Force noted that seizures were down from those made in 2017. Nevertheless, it estimated that 1 in every 10 Britons had purchased fake drugs during 2018. The Border Force also said that organized crime groups had made significant inroads into the trafficking of fake drugs.
An article posted at TheGuardian.com notes that organized crime is finding it more profitable to traffic in counterfeit medications than in controlled substances such as cocaine and heroin. As an example, it cited a fake leukemia drug being sold in the United States for as much as $13,500 a pack, or $450 a pill.
Brexit Could Complicate Things
Although the timing of Britain’s departure from the European Union, or Brexit as it’s commonly known, is still up in the air, law enforcement personnel fear this move will damage the U.K.’s efforts to fight the scourge of illegal drugs.
In February 2019, the EU-wide Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) went into effect. This initiative, the product of years of work in which British interests were heavily involved, includes a community-shared database and tamper-proof packages with barcodes designed to help clamp down on the trade in counterfeit drugs.
A Worldwide Problem
The problem of fake drugs is not confined to Europe but is a worldwide problem. And many of these counterfeit medications are not only worthless, but many are hazardous to the health of those who use them. Law enforcement authorities around the globe have seized fake drugs that contain toxic ingredients that are used as filler material or coloring agents.
As the U.K. seizure data suggests, the hottest sector in the counterfeit drug trade is erectile dysfunction drugs, which are popular around the world. Past seizures of fake ED drugs have turned up some that do contain some level of the active ingredients normally found in such drugs. However, the amounts are either too low to have any appreciable effect or so high that they could cause health problems.
Consequently, this counterfeit drug problem is so pervasive that law enforcement efforts alone are unlikely to bring it down. Authorities feel that increasing the awareness of consumers about the dangers of counterfeit drugs may be the key to putting a major dent in this illegal trade.
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