India, UK up drive against illegal medicine

LONDON: After large quantities of unlicenced medicines sourced from India were recently seized in the United Kingdom, authorities of the two countries have enhanced intelligence-sharing and are focusing on regions suspected of sending such consignments to the Britain and Europe.

India’s Directorate of Reve- nue Intelligence (DRI) recently seized 350,000 tablets of potent medicines, such as Diazepam, Tramadol and Zopiclone, destined for the UK, Europe and the US, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Thursday. It said following a meeting in New Delhi earlier this month, MHRA will send intelligence to the DRI, enabling the Indian agency to target regions sus- pected of sending unlicenced medicines into the UK as part of efforts to tackle international medicines crime. In 2015, India and the UK signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance collaboration in the area of medicines and medical devices and improving public safety. MHRA’S head of enforcement Alastair Jeffrey said: “Our active collaboration with Indian government agencies sends a strong message to criminals; when we work with our global partners we are able to disrupt criminal activity through the identification, arrest and prosecution of offenders wherever they are. “We are working tirelessly to identify all those involved in bringing unlicensed medicines into the UK. Our collaborative efforts with key partners like India will help protect the health of UK citizens.”