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A 30-year-old man has admitted making thousands of pounds by selling counterfeit Viagra (sildenafil citrate) over the internet.
Mohammed Azim Dad, of Slough, Berkshire, pleaded guilty to three counts of selling erectile dysfunction medicines with false trademarks, contrary to Section 92 of the Trademarks Act 1972.
The father-of-four made up to £12,000 in profit selling Viagra, Cialis (tadalafil), and Levitra (vardenafil) manufactured by illegal firms in China.
Reading Crown Court heard the scam operated between January and July 2005, but he was caught following an undercover investigation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Prosecutor Joel Smith said: “The tablets have the right ingredients, but they are not made by a trademarked manufacturer.
“Although they work, they are not necessarily made to the professional standards one might expect.”
Judge May-Jane Mowat, sentencing him to 250 hours community service, said: “It seems to me that selling fake medical products, bypassing the prescriptive process, makes these offences more serious than selling fake CDs, handbags, or whatever it may be.”
A spokesman for MHRA added: “They were counterfeit tablets made on the cheap in China, and Dad made at least £12,000 in profit.
“Counterfeit medicines are of particular concern to us. People who take them are not seen by a doctor. Deaths have been reported to us.”
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