Organised medicines trafficking, 12 arrests made in MHRA crackdown

In dawn raids in four counties across the West Midlands and Northwest of England this morning, 12 suspects were arrested in what is the largest criminal investigation into organised medicines trafficking in the history of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The arrests were made on suspicion of “participating in the activities of an organised crime group, conspiracy to sell or supply controlled drugs and unlicensed medicines, and money laundering.” Suspects are being held for questioning at police stations across the two regions.

The raids took place across the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and Merseyside following a lengthy intelligence-led investigation, codenamed ‘Operation Subaru’, by the MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit.

Around 150 officers were deployed in the operation, with MHRA staff supported by West Midlands and North West Regional Organised Crime Units, the National Crime Agency, Staffordshire Police, and Greater Manchester Police.

It is said “hundreds of thousands of doses of medicines” were seized in searches of 22 residential and commercial premises, including “controlled drugs such as opioid painkillers and anti-anxiety medicines,” as well as “around £100,000 in cash, luxury watches, and suspected criminal assets held in cryptocurrency.”

Additionally, the MHRA has obtained restraint orders for more than £3.5 million in assets suspected “to be linked to criminal activity.”

Andy Morling, head of the MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit, commented: “Today’s search and arrest operation follows a long, complex, and thorough investigation by the MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit. Operation Subaru is the largest investigation we’ve ever undertaken and demonstrates the MHRA’s commitment to protecting the public by dismantling the organised international criminal networks that cause so much harm.”

Morling added: “Trafficking in medicines destroys lives and places a huge financial burden on wider society. Our dedicated team will stop at nothing to tackle this illegal trade by taking potentially harmful medicines off the street and bringing those responsible to justice. As today’s operation shows, there is nowhere to hide.”

Morling also cautioned that medicines only be obtained from registered pharmacies “against a prescription issued by a healthcare professional.” The MHRA #FakeMeds website offers helpful guidance and advice for staying safe when buying medicines online. You can also learn more about drug counterfeiting here and here.

In 2024, the Agency’s Criminal Enforcement Unit and its partners in the Home Office’s Border Force removed more than 17.5m doses of trafficked medicines from circulation. The seized medicines included “painkillers, sleeping tablets, and erectile dysfunction treatments,” with a potential street value of more than £40 million.