Man sentenced for illegal import and pharmaceutical sales of unlicensed medicines

The MHRA's Criminal Enforcement Unit led Operation Bentley, during which UK Border Force intercepted four parcels from China containing over 170,000 doses of unlicensed medicines

A man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for illegally importing and distributing unlicensed medicines from India, the Middle East, and the Far East.

Antoine Christopher Kolias, 31, received his sentence at Southwark Crown Court on 28 June after being found guilty of criminal activities in May.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU) led the investigation, dubbed Operation Bentley.

Kolias was discovered to be acting both as a distributor for an established unlicensed medicines dealer and running his own illicit business.

He was involved in the sale of sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra, as well as Class C drugs including tramadol, zopiclone, and pregabalin between 2018 and 2019, and again between 2020 and 2021.

During a three-week trial, the court heard how Kolias, after his first arrest, began selling products containing sildenafil on Amazon and eBay.

He falsely marketed these products as ‘100 per cent natural remedies’ and ‘risk-free’.

Kolias designed his own packaging and sold the products under brand names such as Vital-X, VigoreX, and Vowex.

The CEU's investigation began after UK Border Force officers intercepted parcels addressed to Kolias.

In October 2019, warrants were executed at two residential addresses and two storage facilities linked to Kolias in North London and Manchester.

Officers discovered 97,000 tablets at the London address, including erectile dysfunction treatments and Class C drugs.

Despite being on bail, Kolias resumed his illegal activities. He redirected his operations to his sister's address and re-established his Amazon sales platform using a friend's personal details.

Four parcels from China, containing over 170,000 doses of unlicensed medicines, were intercepted by UK Border Force.

Antoine Christopher Kolias was sentenced for his involvement in the illegal supply of unlicensed medicines, underscoring the risks associated with unauthorised pharmaceutical sales.

The MHRA has advised the public to exercise caution when purchasing medicines online.