Seven men have been sentenced after the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) criminal enforcement unit investigated a large-scale criminal network supplying illegal steroids and prescription-only medicines. The group received a combined sentence of more than 21 years’ imprisonment. 

The investigation began after UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) identified a website linked to the Bolton area that was suspected of selling performance-enhancing steroids and other illegal medicines, the MHRA said.

MHRA investigators traced the activity to a flat, which was being used to store, package, and distribute the drugs. Officers seized more than 130,000 doses of steroids and unauthorised medicines, which  were being sold by mail order. These included products such as tamoxifen, finasteride and modafinil, highlighting the scale and complexity of the illegal supply network. 

Following a detailed investigation, several individuals were charged with offences including conspiracy to supply controlled drugs, supplying unauthorised medicines, and money laundering to the value of over £1.8 million, the MHRA said.

Tim Duffield, MHRA Head of Intelligence, said, “This was a well-organised operation that put people at real risk. Medicines bought outside regulated channels can be unsafe, ineffective or fake.”

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Published on May 4, 2026