Daniel Hackland, his wife Jenna, and his brother Matthew have pleaded guilty to running an online business selling class C illegal drugs and unlicensed medicines in the UK. In excess of 112,090 tablets and 1,884 bottles of injectable liquids were seized from the family’s office.
Pressing equipment and dyes found at the office had been imported from China, reported Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) enforcement officials.
“In addition to importing medicines and supplements illegally, they also produced home-made drugs in a cement mixer which were then sold to unwitting and potentially desperate customers who were unaware of the poor conditions in which these drugs were made,” according to the MHRA.
Daniel was sentenced to four and a half years in custody, and his brother Matthew, three years. Daniel’s wife Jenna was given 18 months in custody and 100 hours of unpaid work.
“Selling medicines outside of the regulated supply chain is a serious criminal offence and we continue to work with other regulatory and law enforcement colleagues to identify and prosecute those involved in this type of activity,” said MHRA’s head of enforcement, Alastair Jeffrey, in a statement.
“If you purchase medicines outside of the regulated supply chain you may well be buying products that have been made and stored in unsanitary conditions and which could cause significant harm,” he added.