Yesterday at Teesside Crown Court, David Pearson of Stockton-on-Tees was subject to a confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act. He must satisfy a confiscation order of £103,814.65.

In January 2018, Pearson was convicted of wholesale distribution and supply, and possession of medicinal products and two counts of money laundering. He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment after a week-long trial.

MHRA Enforcement officers found 8,457 kilograms of medicines went through his hands with the benefit from his offending determined to be more than £1.5 million.

Pearson has been given three months to pay the confiscation order and two years’ imprisonment should he default.

Tariq Sarwar, MHRA’s Head of Operations, said:

This confiscation follows a successful investigation by our Enforcement officers. People who sell medicines illegally online are only interested in one thing – your money, not your health. We will continue to track down and prosecute those who are willing to put others’ health in jeopardy and pursue them to take away their ill-gotten gains.

Visit http://www.gov.uk/fakemeds for tips on buying medicines safely online.