Police dismantle Ukrainian-Hungarian pharmaceutical counterfeiting gang
The National Investigative Office of the Ready Police has issued suspicion against five people, four of whom have been arrested. The group generated approximately one billion forints in profit annually through illegal online sales of potency enhancers and pharmaceuticals.
Police dismantle Ukrainian-Hungarian pharmaceutical counterfeiting gang
The Ready Police's National Investigative Office has exposed a group that sold banned substances online for years – according to a Népszava report.
The investigation was initiated following a report from the Slovak drug enforcement authority and affects five suspects. Four of them were remanded in custody, while one was released by the court under criminal supervision. The network was run by a man of Ukrainian origin living in Hungary, who had been engaged in this activity for at least half a decade.
The gang offered pills and dietary supplements through online shops that did not have Hungarian distribution licences and had not been approved for the European market. Customers settled their bills through transfers or digital money, with funds arriving at Lithuanian accounts. The products were sourced from abroad and then collected in two warehouses rented in Pest county. From there they were repackaged individually and shipments were handed in at a Slovak post office. They spent ten million forints per month on postage.
According to police estimates, the criminal organisation's annual revenue exceeded one billion forints. During house searches, authorities seized significant quantities of tablets and materials used for packaging. Financial investigators also seized luxury vehicles – including a Rolls-Royce, Porsche and Ferrari – water craft, expensive watches, cash and real estate, totalling approximately 830 million forints in value. Among those arrested is a well-known domestic bodybuilder who is recognised in the industry.
At the 9 June raid, special forces from the TEK were also deployed, as it was suspected that the suspects might be in possession of firearms. Three people were apprehended at a gymnasium in the XVIII district, a fourth was caught in Szada, and the fifth was arrested in Vác.
Source: Google News HU — Crime (hu)