In June this year, Swedish authorities, together with 93 other countries around the world, participated in an effort against illegal drugs. The main purpose was to get an idea of what the illegal trade in medicines looks like and to prevent them from reaching the buyer, the Medical Products Agency writes in a press release.
Last year, a total of just over 2 million tablets and capsules were seized in the categories drugs, doping substances and other drugs and narcotic drugs in Sweden, according to the Swedish Customs.
During the week that Operation Pangea was taking place, approximately 5,200 tablets and capsules were seized in Sweden. Of them, just over 30 percent were potency agents – something that can be bought legally with prescriptions at Swedish pharmacies.
Offered without a prescription online
According to Eva-Lena Bergens, investigator at the Medical Products Agency, it is often a matter of the products containing substances that are illegal in Sweden – and that websites offer medicines without a prescription.
– The risks with these illegal products are that you do not know what they contain, she says.
According to the Swedish Customs, there are no compiled data on the age groups that buy potency drugs online, or if there is anyone who has increased. Eva-Lena Bergens points out, however, that these are people from 18 years and up to a very old age.
– We have seen that it occurs in all age groups and there is no specific age group that is the typical customer.
Continues to increase
According to the press release issued by the Medical Products Agency, global trade in illegal drugs continues to increase – both on websites and social media.
Why is it so popular?
– It is difficult to say, but we have noticed that lifestyle products such as potencies and slimming products have increased and are sold very much.