The Irish Medicines Board (IMB), Revenue’s Customs Service and An Garda Síochána, have announced details of their role in Operation Pangea V — an international week of action targeting the online sale of counterfeit and illegal medicines.



Under Irish law, the sale of prescription-only medicines by mail order and Internet supply of prescription-only medicines are prohibited.

The IMB was among authorities from more than 100 countries that participated in the INTERPOL co-ordinated initiative to protect public health, from September 25 to October 2.

In Ireland, the joint operation led to four arrests, and the confiscation of 121,026 tablets/capsules (51,621 tablets in 2011), including products for weight loss and erectile dysfunction as well as mood stabilisers, with an estimated value in excess of €375,000. Irish Customs also detained 282 packages during the operation and in total, gardaí executed 11 search warrants.

Four websites in Ireland were also brought into compliance, with the removal of certain advertisements. Separately, the Irish Domain Name Registrar was requested to withdraw the registrations of two websites in Ireland.

Commenting, John Lynch, Director of Compliance, IMB, which co-ordinated the Irish operation, said: “Counterfeit and illegal medicines pose a serious and potentially fatal threat to public health.”