Narcotic enforcement agents in California have arrested one person in connection with the illegal sales of the prescription-only diet pills Reductil, known as Meridia in the U.S.
Enforcement agents say that they have one suspect in custody, but they believe that there were two people involved in the scam, which involved sales, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, of Reductil online.
The agents from the Central Contra Costa County Narcotic Enforcement Team searched homes in Martinez, Contra Costa, and Walnut Creek, California. They found documents, cash and large amounts of Sibutramine, the medical name for Reductil.
At both properties the agents seized not only the slimming pills and cash but also documents and computers.
It is believed the two individuals who have been connected to the seizures were involved in the creation of a website that illegally sold Reductil online. Genuine Reductil is only legally available with a doctor’s prescription, but there are many internet sites that sell it without a doctor’s supervision. Such companies are usually offering counterfeit slimming pills, rather than the real thing.
While genuine Reductil is often effective at helping people lose weight counterfeit diet pills can be made of anything – it was recently discovered that some counterfeit versions of the erectile dysfunction medication Viagra contained rat poison.
When taken by patients with contra-indications for the diet pill, it can be extremely dangerous, causing high blood pressure, hypertension and allergic reactions. The slimming pill is licensed for prescription in order to reduce the appetites of clinically obese patients and is not recommended for people to take when they have a healthy body mass index.
The Contra Country law enforcers first became suspicious when they came across vseveral websites that were selling Reductil without a doctor’s prescription in violation of state law. Then customs agents seized parcels containing the drug, which were sent from China and addressed to the Martinez and Walnut Creek address.
The searches of the two houses directed officers to a storage lockers discovered to contain over 500, 000 Reductil pills, valued at $800,000.
A 39-year old woman has been arrested in connection with the case and released pending further investigation. Life Insurance With No Medical Exam