Two prosecutions in as many days have seen jail terms imposed for the selling of unlicensed medicines.

On 8 September a man from Southall was jailed at Isleworth Crown Court on eight counts of possession and supply of significant quantities of unauthorised and unlicensed medication.

Investigators from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) raided a property belonging to Gurinder Bharaj in Ealing, where more than 100,000 individual doses of unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicines worth more than £30,000 were uncovered and seized. A smaller quantity of prescription medication was also seized.

Following an initial hearing Mr Bharaj pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment with immediate effect (concurrent to all counts). He was also ordered to pay a £75 victim surcharge.

The previous day David Antley was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court for the importation and supply of substantial quantities of unauthorised medicines.

When MHRA investigators raided Antley’s property they seized more than 13,900 doses of unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicines worth more than £40,000. Antley pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 20 weeks imprisonment (concurrent to all counts).

MHRA is currently running a #FakeMeds campaign to warn people against buying potentially dangerous or useless unlicensed medicines sold by illegal online suppliers.

Its head of enforcement, Alastair Jeffrey, said: “Selling unlicensed medicines is illegal and can pose a serious risk to health. The fact that a medicine is unauthorised means that it has not been subjected to the regulatory scrutiny and quality assurances required to get a license. These products can be dangerous as their contents are unknown and untested and the consequences for your health can be devastating.

“Criminals involved in the illegal supply of medical products aren’t interested in your health - they are only interested in your money. MHRA will continue to track down and prosecute those who put the public’s health at risk.”