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Amendments were made to the Russian Criminal Code in December 2014 and entered into legal force in January 2015. Those amendments provide for criminal liability for illegal manufacture of medications and medical goods, for dealing in counterfeit, subquality or unregistered medications and medical goods, dealing in counterfeit dietary supplements, forgery of documents concerning medications or medical goods or packages. One of the first criminal investigations in counterfeit medications dealing (paragraph “a” of part2 of article 238.1) has been launched by Moscow Region investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee.

According to investigators, a group of people purchased, packaged and sold counterfeit medicines in Moscow Region. The business was organized by a 45-year-old resident of Lyubertsy District, who had come up with the whole criminal scheme. A 40-year-old woman from Moscow helped him with that. In addition the group included a technologist, who controlled the manufacture.

According to the investigators, the medicines were brought in Moscow Region from China. The suspects had workshops and a warehouse in Lyubertsy and Odintsovo districts. In Noginsk and Podolsk districts they had printing establishments to print out instructions, foil, packages to make it look like real medications.

During a check-up purchase officials of the Main Office for Economic Safety and Anti-Corruption of the Russian Emergencies Ministry have confiscated two boxes, 540 packages of Klaritin medicine each, at the warehouse in Lyubertsy District. According to the certificate of examination the said medicine is counterfeit.

At present the investigators are questioning all individuals involved in the crime and studying the documents confiscated from the enterprise during a search. They are also identifying the facilities to which the suspects sold the counterfeit goods.

Counterfeiting of medications is not just an illegal way to get profit. The main thing is that perpetrators endanger health of thousands of people, who buy the counterfeit medicines, but do not get necessary effect, get worse and endanger their lives. This case is a first shot. Article 238.1 of the Russian Penal Code that has recently entered into legal force gives a chance to block illegal market of medications across Russia and prosecute those who until recently quite comfortably made money on our health.

Head of Media Relations                                                                                                                                V.I. Markin