5 arrested at Hong Kong pharmacies, anti-obesity pills and slimming injections seized
Authorities conduct two raids and seize over 3000 tablets of clonazepam and zolpidem, and six boxes of unregistered slimming injections
Hong Kong authorities have arrested five men at registered pharmacies and seized thousands of unregistered anti-obesity medicines and boxes of slimming injections, vowing to launch more joint operations to clamp down on illegal sales across the city.
The Department of Health said on Monday evening that an enforcement operation with the police last Friday at a registered pharmacy in Sha Tin district led to four arrests and the seizure of over 400 tablets of clonazepam, more than 2,700 tablets of zolpidem and six boxes of unregistered slimming injections.
The department added that a separate raid on Monday in Jordan resulted in the arrest of a 36-year-old man who was also suspected of illegally selling an anti-obesity medicine and failing to store Part 1 poisons in a locked receptacle.
“In light of the fact that there are people illegally selling or possessing unregistered anti-obesity medicine classified as a Part 1 poison and prescription drug under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, the Department of Health announced [on Monday] that it has stepped up inspection and enforcement efforts across Hong Kong in recent days,” the department said in the statement.