A 16-year-old Singaporean student was nabbed by the
Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for selling fake medicine
online.
The student initially bought two packets of slimming pills
online but suffered adverse reactions such as dry throat after
using them. In order to cut her losses of S$220, she sold them
online for S$130.
According to a Today report, the student is the
youngest person ever to be nabbed by the HSA for an online-related
offence. HSA deputy director (enforcement branch) Ruth Lee, 47,
said, “We were shocked when we caught her. We didn’t feel
good…She’s too young.”
As part of a major
Interpol-led operation against fake medicine sold online in 45
countries, authorities in Singapore shared details of Operation
Pangea III, which saw three Singaporeans and three China nationals
being apprehended in the country.
The same paper also reported that between October 5 and 12, HSA
senior regulatory inspector (enforcement branch) Beatrice Poh, 33,
and her team were trawling through popular online forums and social
networking sites for suspects, when they made contact with the
student.
Once the transaction with the undercover HSA officers were
completed at Bugis MRT Station, they immediately took action and
subsequently searched her home for more medicines. They found that
she had two packets of pills in her possession.
A total of S$7,000 worth of fake medicines were seized from the
six suspects arrested in Singapore. They have yet to be
charged.
According to the HSA, illegal online medicines are becoming a
worldwide scourge, thought to run into the billions. The World
Health Organisation estimates that more than half of medicines sold
online are fake.
HSA division director (enforcement) Chan Cheng Leng, 46, said
most of the ones sold here are lifestyle medicines claiming to
treat conditions such as erectile dysfunction and obesity.
She added that those ashamed of the stigma associated with those
conditions would buy the medicines online and most of them are in
their 20s and 30s and are internet-savvy.
However, Ms Chan warned that what you see is not necessarily
what you will get. Sexual enhancement pills have turned out to be
slimming pills. On the other hand, slimming pills have been found
to contain substances to treat constipation.
Although there have been no reported deaths in Singapore from
consumption of fake online medicines, Ms Chan highlighted, “You’re
putting things in your body that can cause harm. The health risks
aren’t worth it.”
The HSA said the profit margin for selling such products can
range between 200 and 900 per cent, with a S$5 box of hair loss
product being sold for S$50.
In May last year, the HSA attached officers to
SingPost to train its employees how to spot suspicious
packages. The number of packages referred to the HSA for inspection
jumped to 191 that month, up from 33 in April last year. It now
averages 70 to 80 packages monthly.
Under the
Poisons Act, anyone convicted of selling prescription drugs or
counterfeit drugs online can be jailed up to two years and fined
S$10,000. Last year, 34 people were arrested. There are already 39
cases so far this year.