UK men plead guilty to supplying counterfeit drugs

Two men from Bristol in the UK - Graham Dawson and Colin Proctor - have pleaded guilty to supplying and distributing counterfeit medicines sourced from China.

The pair peddled erectile dysfunction drugs Cialis (tadalafil), Levitra (vardenafil) and Viagra (sildenafil), as well as Xanax (alprazolam) for anxiety and sleep medicine Stilnox (zolpidem) from a private address in Bristol, according to a press release issued by the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Dawson received a 44-week sentence, suspended for two years, as well as a two-year supervision order and 180 hours of unpaid work. He will also be required to adhere to a six-month curfew and wear an electronic tag. Proctor was sentenced to a two-year supervision order and 120 hours of unpaid work.

The men were charged after the MHRA launched an investigation, known as Operation Lola, which saw two private addresses in Bristol searched with the assistance of local police. Fake medicines seized at the premises were estimated to have a resale value of around $80,000.