vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #613 / Crime watch / Reading article...

Three Vladivostok residents will face charges in court for the illegal import and distribution of Chinese medical drugs for losing weight which contained forbidden chemical substances, prosecutors said.

The investigation revealed that in July 2007, Olga Voronaya and her two acquaintances Roman Zadorin and Alexander Melnik decided to organize a business to sell weight loss pills to Russian residents. Zadorin, head of a tourist group from the ‘Dialog Narodov-1’ company, along with Melnik purchased the capsules in small quantities in China and delivered them to Voronaya who sold them through her online shop.

The capsules contained sibutramine (sold under the representative name of Meridia), an ingredient used to control hunger in overweight patients. The three were aware of the chemical components of the pills – however, the drugs were sold to Russian customers with the description claiming the medication was manufactured from natural herbal substances only.

Sibutramine is known to have various contraindications, including heart complications and diseases, as well as such side effects as nausea, dry mouth, upset stomach, dizziness, insomnia and headaches. In some patients, the substance can also raise blood pressure.

The substance is forbidden for import and its circulation in Russia is regulated by the Drug Control Department.

During a search of Voronaya’s residence in November 2007, drug trafficking police seized over one kilogram of the capsules containing sibutramine and other strong ingredients, the prosecutor’s press statement revealed.

The three charged people may face up to a 12-year imprisonment for import and sales of substances containing strong drugs.

The case has been passed to the Pervorechensky Court of Vladivostok, the statement said.