Customs seizes HK$19m in fake drugs being sold on the internet
Customs officers have broken up a multimillion-dollar international counterfeit pharmaceutical ring selling fake drugs through the internet.
Drugs seized in raids across the city yesterday included anti-impotence drugs such as Viagra, anti-viral medication used to prevent bird flu, slimming pills and heart disease drugs.
The alleged 37-year-old mastermind of the syndicate was caught in a hotel room yesterday after a three-month undercover operation.
He is a Hong Kong resident of Southeast Asian origin.
Customs began the investigation after authorities were tipped-off by the pharmaceutical industry.
Investigations have so far established that the drugs were bound for the overseas market. Customs seized about 470,000 tablets with an estimated street value of HK$19 million, many of them already packed for export.
The packages were addressed to customers in Europe, the United States, Australia and India.
Ben Ho Kai-hoi, head of customs' intellectual property investigation bureau, said the syndicate had solicited for buyers using spam e-mails offering the drugs at low prices. When potential buyers responded to the e-mails, the syndicate would offer the drugs at prices close to retail to convince them they were genuine.
Even the packages used to export the drugs were replicas.
Mr Ho said more arrests were expected here and overseas.
None of the fake drugs was made with dangerous chemicals, but they did not contain genuine medical ingredients, potentially putting the lives of the buyers at risk.
'The syndicate had sent bulk e-mails to people overseas selling the drugs as genuine, which is extremely dangerous to people who are sick,' Mr Ho said.
'We have been co-operating with the pharmaceutical industry during the investigation. This is a big breakthrough.'
