Illegal medicines, weight-loss products worth S$9,000 seized during Internet-based sting operation

SINGAPORE — Weight-loss tablets and illegal drugs to treat sleep disorders, worth a total of S$9,000, were among the products seized in Singapore during a global Internet-based sting operation coordinated by the Interpol last week.

From Oct 9 to 16, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) seized some 4,520 units of illegal health products, following intensified surveillance against websites here selling the contraband items to users in Singapore.

Operation Pangea by the Interpol is an international Internet week of action targeting the sale of counterfeit and unlicensed medicine online. The HSA was among 116 countries that took part in the operation, which also involved the World Customs Organization, health regulators, police, pharmaceutical and electronic payments industry.

The global operation was aimed at three main components of the illegal website trade and the people behind it: The Internet Infrastructure, electronic payment system, and delivery service.

In a statement on Tuesday (Oct 23), the authority said that weight-loss products made up the majority of the seized items here.

These products promised “quick weight loss”, claimed to be “fast fat burners” and to help “suppress appetite”, while purporting to be “100% natural” or made with “herbal ingredients”.

HSA warned consumers that such products promising fast weight loss may not be as harmless as they claim to be. The authority found that the products contained “potent medicinal ingredients”, and the banned substance sibutramine.

Sibutramine was previously available as a prescription-only weight-loss drug, but has been withdrawn from Singapore since 2010 due to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as other serious adverse health effects such as hallucinations, palpitations and breathlessness.

The HSA also seized 500 modafinil tablets which were sent to Singapore from overseas sellers.

Modafinil is a prescription medicine used to treat drowsiness due to narcolepsy — a neurological disorder that affects alertness — sleep disorders, or obstructive sleep apnea. The HSA said that the medicine is not registered locally, and self-medicating can be harmful.

Modafinil carries a potential risk of dependency due to its stimulant effect on the brain. It can also cause serious side effects such as heart problems, hypertension and psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, hallucinations or mania.

Earlier this year, a woman in her 30s was hospitalised for serious skin reactions after taking modafinil to improve her alertness, said the HSA.

She developed Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a life-threatening skin condition with blistering and severe peeling of the skin. The woman also had multiple mouth ulcers and conjunctivitis.

“Unless authorised by HSA for use in special circumstances by a doctor for patients under his or her care, the sale of unregistered health products such as modafinil is an offence,” said the authority.

Investigations are ongoing, and two people are assisting in the probe.

Those found guilty of supplying illegal health products are liable to prosecution, and if convicted, may be jailed up to 3 years, fined up to S$100,000, or both.

The HSA advised consumers to be cautious when buying health products online.

Products sold online may be cheaper, and “appear to offer better value”, said the HSA. In reality, the lower price could be due to unsafe or inferior ingredients, poor manufacturing methods, substandard or unhygienic storage conditions.

When making purchases online, consumers should consider buying health products from websites with an established retail presence in Singapore, said the authority.