0:00:02 > 0:00:06Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Police!
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Get down! Get down!
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Put your hands behind your back now!
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Here at the Fake Britain house, things might look familiar
0:00:28 > 0:00:33but don't be taken in because this is a house that's filled with fakes.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37In this series, I'll be revealing the counterfeits, copies and cons
0:00:37 > 0:00:40that are flooding the market, fooling the public,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43making money for the criminals and, maybe even,
0:00:43 > 0:00:45putting you in danger.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48We'll be investigating those fraudsters who are cashing in
0:00:48 > 0:00:50by selling us something that isn't real
0:00:50 > 0:00:54and we'll be showing YOU how to avoid falling for a fake.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Today on Fake Britain, the fake herbal slimming pills
0:00:59 > 0:01:02containing a banned pharmaceutical...
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Go online and buy this stuff, it's like Russian roulette,
0:01:04 > 0:01:06you're just taking a chance with your health.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10..the dog breeder producing pups with fake pedigrees...
0:01:10 > 0:01:14She's got some Westie characteristics but she's not a pedigree Westie.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17This is such clear evidence of fraud.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21..the fake scooters putting the skids under Britain's kids...
0:01:21 > 0:01:23It's worrying that you think you're buying a genuine
0:01:23 > 0:01:27micro scooter and these products out there are quite dangerous.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30..and we take a peek under the bonnet of a counterfeit iPhone.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33If there was a short-circuit, the battery could potentially
0:01:33 > 0:01:35set on fire. It could blow up.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39The weight loss industry in this country is worth billions
0:01:39 > 0:01:43and there are all sorts of ways people try to shed the pounds.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47Many turn to herbal remedies, natural slimming products.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50This is one of them but it's a fake.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Described as only containing botanical ingredients,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57you can buy it online but it's unlicensed and shouldn't be sold
0:01:57 > 0:02:00here in the UK. That's not all.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02It also contains a banned
0:02:02 > 0:02:05and potentially dangerous chemical compound.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11We're on the way to a raid with Danny Lee-Frost from the MHRA.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20It's the group responsible for making sure medicines
0:02:20 > 0:02:22and medical devices are safe.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25So why the raid?
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Well, last month the MHRA carried out a test purchase
0:02:28 > 0:02:31of a slimming product being sold online.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35The sample was analysed and it was found to contain
0:02:35 > 0:02:39a huge dose of a banned drug called sibutramine.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Sibutramine was the active chemical compound
0:02:41 > 0:02:46in a so-called wonder slimming pill sold in the UK as Reductil.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49However, the drug was proved to raise blood pressure
0:02:49 > 0:02:52and could even induce heart attack in some patients.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54It was banned in 2010.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Danny's concerned that buyers who believe they're getting
0:02:57 > 0:03:00a 100% herbal product are unwittingly getting
0:03:00 > 0:03:02the banned drug, sibutramine.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04It was withdrawn from the market
0:03:04 > 0:03:08because of the increased risk of stroke and unforeseen heart attacks.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12That was when people were taking it under medical supervision.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Now if anybody's taking this particular product,
0:03:15 > 0:03:17this Lida Daidaihua product,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19they're not going to know it's in there,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23there's far more active ingredient than there was in the licensed product,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25so the risk of unforeseen heart attack
0:03:25 > 0:03:28and stroke is much, much, much greater.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34On the raid, the MHRA team are looking to close down
0:03:34 > 0:03:36this seller fast.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Officers have entered the premises with a warrant
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and then they'll be conducting an inspection of the premises,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47looking for evidence of the product being there
0:03:47 > 0:03:51and any evidence relating to sale, or supply.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54So if there's any computers, or laptop or paperwork,
0:03:54 > 0:03:55they'll be looking at that
0:03:55 > 0:03:57and, if necessary, they'll seize it as evidence.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Within an hour, the officers think they've found
0:04:02 > 0:04:04the suspect's hidden supply.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20We've got several hundred boxes of the product that we were looking for
0:04:20 > 0:04:24in the rear bedroom of the private house.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27As we suspected, it's the same stuff that we purchased off them.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29It contains the active ingredient, sibutramine.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32We're just checking to make sure that there's not any more
0:04:32 > 0:04:34stashed anywhere else.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37They bring several bags of evidence out of the house.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Several thousand packs.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Tens of thousands of tablets and capsules.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49In terms of actually at one single address,
0:04:49 > 0:04:50this is pretty substantial.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55It turns out there may be even more evidence for the team to see.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07The initial inspection of the premises,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09and looking at some of the paperwork,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13identified that the subject actually rents a lock-up unit.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16We don't have a warrant for the lock-up
0:05:16 > 0:05:18but we're taking the subject with us
0:05:18 > 0:05:20and we're going to ask him to open the lock-up for us.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27I wasn't expecting that today.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31The lock-up is packed with even more of the fake herbal product.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35A lot more. These products appear to have come from China.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40As is often the way, the boxes and sachets of pills are sent
0:05:40 > 0:05:42separately in the hope of evading detection.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47A large box of blistered capsules,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51the Lida Daidaihua that we have been looking for all day.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55This probably doubles the size of the seizure from this morning.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00It's crucial that this shipment doesn't hit the streets.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04It's suspected to contain a banned drug in huge uncontrolled doses.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Just to be sure, it goes off to the lab.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10There they'll analyse what's inside.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13The suspect's contact details are taken
0:06:13 > 0:06:16and he will be questioned at a later date once officers have
0:06:16 > 0:06:19established more facts about the operation.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22For Danny, so far it's a good result.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26We've seized a lot of fake and unlicensed medicines.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27We've taken those off the market
0:06:27 > 0:06:30and prevented those being sold to the unsuspecting general public.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Later, we'll catch up with Danny and find out exactly how much sibutramine was in the fake
0:06:36 > 0:06:40supplements and we'll investigate how the fakers selling these pills
0:06:40 > 0:06:43have infiltrated the UK's most popular auction websites.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Every year in the UK, we register a quarter of a million dogs with The Kennel Club
0:06:53 > 0:06:57and the proud new owner gets one of these, the certificate that
0:06:57 > 0:07:01tells us everything we need to know about our pedigree pooch.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04It's all here - name, age, breed, parents
0:07:04 > 0:07:07and also crucial information about the likely health of your pup,
0:07:07 > 0:07:11except many of the details on this Kennel Club certificate
0:07:11 > 0:07:15have been faked. Sadly, it's not the only fake out there.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23Whether it is a Labrador, a French bulldog, a Great Dane,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27a terrier or a Jack Russell, there's an adoring owner out there
0:07:27 > 0:07:29for every different type of dog.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34And puppy breeding can be very profitable with the most
0:07:34 > 0:07:38sought-after breeds changing hands for as much as £3,000.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43But most buyers aren't looking for a future Crufts champion.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46They've fallen in love with their dog at first sight and just want
0:07:46 > 0:07:51to know it's been brought up in good conditions by a responsible breeder.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55After doing her research, Sam Brady decided a Labrador would be
0:07:55 > 0:07:57the perfect pet for her young family.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02Wary of buying a puppy-farmed dog, Sam was determined to
0:08:02 > 0:08:05buy from a breeder who registered the puppies with The Kennel Club.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09We found one particular advert that was more in our price range,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Kennel Club registered. They were pedigree, they were deflea'd.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16They were wormed. They had four months insurance free.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Everything looked fine.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20The picture of the puppies was cute.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25We phoned the breeder up and she said documents would be ready
0:08:25 > 0:08:26when we go to view.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29I phoned The Kennel Club first before we went around there
0:08:29 > 0:08:32to check that she was who she said she was.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Everything came back fine, The Kennel Club said never had a problem
0:08:36 > 0:08:41with her so it should be fine to go and look at her puppies.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42So off we went.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48They left with a new family member, an adorable Labrador called Alfie.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54Unknown to Sam, Gary Young, an investigator with Norfolk Trading Standards,
0:08:54 > 0:08:59had been receiving complaints about a breeder called Lisa Walsh.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Gary established that she was renting Greenacres Farm,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05a large property near Norwich.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Kennel Club registration documents were taking a long time to be
0:09:08 > 0:09:12sent to the owner. The puppies were being purchased and they were ill.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15A number of them had died shortly after being purchased.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18As a result of the complaints,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21we then made a decision to carry out a test purchase.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Posing as customers, Gary and his team arrived at Greenacres.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29After being offered two puppies by Lisa Walsh,
0:09:29 > 0:09:34the team then informed her they were, in fact, Trading Standards officers.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49The Kennel Club certificate Gary was shown stated
0:09:49 > 0:09:52the mother of the puppies was micro-chipped but a quick scan
0:09:52 > 0:09:56revealed that the supposed mother of the pups didn't have a chip.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Walsh told Trading Standards she had mixed up the mothers
0:10:00 > 0:10:04and the pups with another set of a similar age.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09Lisa Walsh's story seemed suspicious but Gary didn't get the chance
0:10:09 > 0:10:13to DNA test the pups and establish the true parentage of either litter.
0:10:13 > 0:10:18Very unfortunately for Mrs Walsh that night she had a burglary
0:10:18 > 0:10:22and it just so happens that the only items that were stolen were
0:10:22 > 0:10:28the two black and yellow Labrador mothers and the two litters of pups.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32To breed more than five litters a year you need to be inspected
0:10:32 > 0:10:35and granted a licence by the local council.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38South Norfolk Council granted Walsh
0:10:38 > 0:10:40a breeders' licence in November 2011.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44They told us they made several unannounced inspection visits
0:10:44 > 0:10:46and nothing untoward was found.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Once Mrs Walsh had this licence from her local authority
0:10:49 > 0:10:52she would register her puppies with The Kennel Club
0:10:52 > 0:10:54and then she would receive the registration certificates
0:10:54 > 0:10:58most of her customers would demand before they buy a puppy.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01The Kennel Club trusts breeders to fill in their paperwork
0:11:01 > 0:11:05honestly but Walsh planned to present buyers with legitimate
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Kennel Club certificates which didn't match the puppy for sale.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Around this time, Devam Hendry,
0:11:12 > 0:11:17a retired university lecturer, was looking to buy a pedigree dog.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20I hadn't made a decision and it wasn't terribly important for me
0:11:20 > 0:11:22to have a pedigree.
0:11:22 > 0:11:28I opened the paper and there was an advert for West Highland terriers, immediately ready.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Devam called the number and was told she should
0:11:31 > 0:11:34come around as soon as possible as the puppies were selling fast.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41When we drove up, my impression was that she was a small-time breeder
0:11:41 > 0:11:46on a working farm. Barns at the back, house and driveway to the front
0:11:46 > 0:11:50and the puppies were in a cage in the front porch.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54She made quite a thing about the fact she was a registered breeder
0:11:54 > 0:11:57and therefore it was very, very safe
0:11:57 > 0:11:59and the dog would be very, very healthy.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02I then thought £400 was fine to pay.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08Devam left Greenacres convinced she'd purchased a West Highland terrier,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11which she decided to call Minnie.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14She was promised the paperwork would follow immediately,
0:12:14 > 0:12:15but it didn't.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19I had to phone up a couple of weeks later and said,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23"Well, I still haven't got your breeder details."
0:12:23 > 0:12:26She made some kind of excuse.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29It took about six weeks for them to arrive,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31which I then sent off to The Kennel Club.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Later, we'll discover the truth behind Minnie's pedigree
0:12:35 > 0:12:40and what was really going on in the property rented by Lisa Walsh.
0:12:45 > 0:12:51Mini scooters have been a huge hit with kids and with their parents.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55It's estimated over a million have been sold in the UK.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59As you might expect, this is where the fun stops.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02You see, this one is real but this one is fake.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Ones like it are on sale to unsuspecting customers now.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10So how do you tell the real from the counterfeit?
0:13:10 > 0:13:13And if your child is riding one of these, are they safe?
0:13:14 > 0:13:17You'll find a proud owner of one of these mini scooters
0:13:17 > 0:13:19at most school gates.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Riding one, well, certainly beats walking to school
0:13:23 > 0:13:26and there's one for everyone. They come in all shapes and sizes.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33When Kathryn's son, Drew, turned three, she decided the time
0:13:33 > 0:13:36had come to get him the scooter he'd spent the last year asking for.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40He'd had money for Christmas and he'd like a scooter.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43His older cousin had a scooter
0:13:43 > 0:13:45and so we decided that we'd use that money and buy him one.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Kathryn liked the look of the micro scooter.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51It is a well-known brand.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54I'd seen a lot of young children, about the same age as my son,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57on micro scooters and they seemed to be going really safely
0:13:57 > 0:14:00around the parks and managing well on them.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04They seemed like a toy that you could have good fun with.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06The search started online.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10I looked at a few different websites and compared the prices.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Soon Kathryn found exactly what she was looking for.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17They seemed to have all the genuine product on there.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19They had stock photos.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22They had a description which matched the description from
0:14:22 > 0:14:26mini micro scooters and the price seemed comparable.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30She completed the purchase and a few days later the scooter arrived.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Initially, it looked fine but then a detail caught her eye.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Then I noticed the sticker on the T-bar didn't have the
0:14:37 > 0:14:40original wording that a micro scooter's one had.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44But it was the state of the instructions that really worried Kathryn.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Within the box, the instructions were photocopied.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52They had blocked out the micro scooter's logo and, at this point,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55I started to think it might not be the genuine thing.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Having unwittingly bought a counterfeit scooter,
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Kathryn acted quickly.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02She replaced the fake with the genuine item.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07When I realised I'd bought a fake scooter, I found out
0:15:07 > 0:15:10what my consumer rights were having purchased something online.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13I e-mailed the company I'd bought it from to explain that
0:15:13 > 0:15:16I would be returning that scooter and I expected a full refund
0:15:16 > 0:15:18and also I wanted my postage costs covered.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23I then went out to John Lewis and found exactly the same scooter
0:15:23 > 0:15:26and it was on offer, so we got it a little bit cheaper.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32Unknown to Kathryn, the fakers have been targeting micro scooters for some time.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Ben Gibson is the company's MD.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40I think we really came across a fake micro scooter about six or seven years ago.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45Much of the company's battle with the fakers is fought online.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Luckily, a lot of the retailers are much more vigilant nowadays
0:15:48 > 0:15:50but, I think, it is the online sales that
0:15:50 > 0:15:53really drive a lot of this fake scooter activity.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Recently, Ben had drafted in his son to model for some
0:15:57 > 0:15:59promotional shots.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Several weeks later, he got a shock when a colleague suggested
0:16:02 > 0:16:04he take a look at the latest fake website.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Here I am looking at the web, seeing if there are any copies
0:16:08 > 0:16:13of our products and I come across a company selling mini micro fake.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17When you click on their advertising, what is very disturbing,
0:16:17 > 0:16:22they're using pictures of my own son to advertise their products.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24And every time Ben gets the image removed,
0:16:24 > 0:16:28it pops up on another website, a few weeks later.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33These scooters go through a range of stress tests in order to make
0:16:33 > 0:16:37sure they can withstand everything that's going to be thrown at them.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41We've got 20kg weights just pounding the decks.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45We have automatic steering mechanisms which see how many
0:16:45 > 0:16:48turns one can do over the lifetime of the scooter.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50We treat them with heat and light.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Really, everything is tested endlessly.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58We've seen the real scooter withstand 20kg.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Can the fake take the strain?
0:17:02 > 0:17:07The original has strengthening bars down the side of its deck.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12This protects the deck from impact and stops the deck breaking.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16In the fake, they have no such bars.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20This will break and I would fully expect these edges to the
0:17:20 > 0:17:23deck to become sharp and to become hazardous.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27These scooters are designed for children up to 20kg.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31You'll see that the fake mini micro scooter bends very
0:17:31 > 0:17:36significantly as I put a small amount of weight onto it.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39The original bends much less.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42The quality, therefore, of a deck
0:17:42 > 0:17:46is already showing that this scooter is not fit for purpose.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51So the build quality clearly differs but these are kids' toys.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54What are the safety issues with the products?
0:17:54 > 0:17:58Another important aspect of the mini micro are the handle grips.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01They broadly look the same but the feel is different.
0:18:01 > 0:18:02Handle grips should be grippy.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06These are much less grippy than the original handle grips.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09It's an outdoor toy, you add a bit of rain to that
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and that actually will be very dangerous.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16For Ben, the most alarming part of the fake is the brake.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20Interesting, the brake looks the same but if you push it down,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23it sticks to the back wheel causing skidding
0:18:23 > 0:18:27and certainly not a progressive stopping motion that we
0:18:27 > 0:18:29would like to see on the original scooters.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34That will cause this scooter to skid and the child to be endangered.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38And the issue of the brake is made all the worse by the poor
0:18:38 > 0:18:40build quality of the wheel.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43If you get the original mini micro, I can easily push,
0:18:43 > 0:18:47with my little finger, this wheel and that'll move smoothly on itself.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51The fake, if I push it gently, you have got a wheel that is sticking.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55If you combine that with the sub-standard brake,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57you've got a recipe for disaster.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04Back in Worcester, Drew is now the happy owner of a genuine micro scooter.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07And, looking back, his mum Kathryn is relieved her close call
0:19:07 > 0:19:11with the counterfeiters didn't end with a serious accident.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14It's worrying that you think you're buying a genuine micro scooter
0:19:14 > 0:19:17and actually these products that are out there are quite dangerous
0:19:17 > 0:19:21and, potentially, your child could have a serious accident on one of these.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Previously we saw Gary Young from Trading Standards
0:19:31 > 0:19:35investigating a dog breeder called Lisa Walsh.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Shortly after this test purchase,
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Gary received a call from one of Walsh's customers, Sam Brady.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Her Labrador, Alfie, has suffered a horrible accident.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48One day we were playing with him, chucked a ball up in the air
0:19:48 > 0:19:52and he jumped and I don't know if he landed funny, or something,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55but he let out this almighty yelp
0:19:55 > 0:19:57and I've never heard him do that before.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59I thought, "My gosh."
0:19:59 > 0:20:00We took him straight down to the vet's
0:20:00 > 0:20:02and we were referred to a specialist.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06They X-rayed him again and they showed me his X-rays
0:20:06 > 0:20:09and they said his hips were in an awful state.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12They said it is severe bilateral hip dysplasia.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14His hips weren't even connected.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18It was amazing how he could actually even stand up, let alone walk.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22The vet said it was probably one of the worst cases he'd seen in his 30 years' practice.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27A case this serious is rare because a Labrador with poor hips would
0:20:27 > 0:20:29never be used to breed puppies.
0:20:29 > 0:20:35After the accident, Sam looked back at The Kennel Club's registration that Walsh provided.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Any certificate for a newborn Labrador should contain
0:20:38 > 0:20:41information about the medical history of its parents' hips.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43This is known as a hip score.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47Labradors, like many bigger dogs, can suffer from serious
0:20:47 > 0:20:49and painful hip conditions
0:20:49 > 0:20:52so a certificate will state the hip score of the puppy's mother
0:20:52 > 0:20:55and father, giving an owner an indication
0:20:55 > 0:20:58of how healthy your puppy is likely to be.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02The breeder had told Sam that both of Alfie's parents had good
0:21:02 > 0:21:06hip scores but the certificate showed the mum's score was missing.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Sam cared for Alfie through months of painful treatment
0:21:09 > 0:21:12and a long convalescence.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15There'll be veterinary costs for the rest of Alfie's life.
0:21:16 > 0:21:22Total cost so far has been £20,000 on our insurance.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Unfortunately, it's not going to stop there.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27He has to have yearly checkups.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30That alone costs £400 or £500.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Meanwhile, Devam's paperwork from The Kennel Club had arrived.
0:21:34 > 0:21:35Everything was in order.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39The certificates confirmed that Minnie was a pedigree West Highland terrier.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43The only problem was, she didn't look like one.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47People would stop in the street and say, "What is she?"
0:21:47 > 0:21:51So when I had a checkup at the vet's, I said to him,
0:21:51 > 0:21:56"By the way, what do you think Minnie is because she's on the record at the vet's as a Westie?"
0:21:56 > 0:21:58And he said, "Well, she's not, is she?"
0:21:58 > 0:22:03It's absolutely obvious with these photographs side-by-side.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07On the left-hand side is a typical West Highland terrier puppy
0:22:07 > 0:22:10and on the right side my dog, Minnie.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13My dog's ears look completely different from the Westie's.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Her ears point down. They're soft, they're floppy,
0:22:17 > 0:22:21whereas a Westie's ears are very, very prominently pointed.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24And, her tail, she's got a very bushy, prominent tail.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27She has got some Westie characteristics
0:22:27 > 0:22:28but she's not a pedigree Westie.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32This is such clear evidence of fraud.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Clearly, Minnie's real parents weren't the mother and father
0:22:35 > 0:22:39stated on her Kennel Club registration document.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43I think they're all forged documents. They're worthless.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49But Devam and Sam weren't alone in being duped.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Gary had been inundated with calls from angry pedigree pup buyers
0:22:52 > 0:22:55who felt they had been deceived by Lisa Walsh.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Soon he'd been granted a warrant to search Walsh's entire property.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04There he discovered the true scale of her fakery.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10The customers would actually arrive here and then they would go
0:23:10 > 0:23:14and meet up with Mrs Walsh in the porch area where
0:23:14 > 0:23:17they were shown one or two puppies
0:23:17 > 0:23:21and the selected adult or so-called mother
0:23:21 > 0:23:25and that would be their impression of the house and the sale.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Whilst over in the barn, further down,
0:23:28 > 0:23:34there was anything between 20 to 30 puppies being kept in cages together.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41We showed some of the footage from that raid to Sam.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Disgusting.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49To know that that was there while we were there makes me feel sick.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Yeah, that's puppy farming, that is.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54That's basically what a puppy farm is.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58If I had known, I would never have even set foot in that place.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01I wanted a Kennel Club pedigree dog but that's not what I got.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06I kind of try to look at it as we rescued him from that place
0:24:06 > 0:24:09and gave him a life that he deserves.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13With evidence gathered over the course of a three-year investigation,
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Gary was able to prove that Walsh had been creating fake pedigree pup
0:24:17 > 0:24:22identities by registering fictional pedigree pups with The Kennel Club.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26When the documentation arrived from the Kennel Club for the fictional puppies,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30Walsh would assign that paperwork to one of the non-pedigree puppies
0:24:30 > 0:24:32she was breeding in the barn.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35So the unwitting buyer would see a Kennel Club certificate
0:24:35 > 0:24:38stating the puppy was pedigree when it wasn't.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43And, in some cases, they also had serious health issues.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47So the pedigree status, that many of Walsh's customers were happy
0:24:47 > 0:24:50to pay a premium price for, was fake.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Gary also found evidence of fake vaccination certificates.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58The mass of documentation Traded Standards had gathered
0:24:58 > 0:25:01proved damning in court.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05Walsh initially denied participating in a fraudulent business
0:25:05 > 0:25:07but faced with a mountain of evidence,
0:25:07 > 0:25:12she changed her plea to guilty on the third day of the trial.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16In total, Walsh duped her customers out of £170,000.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20She received a six-month sentence for fraud
0:25:20 > 0:25:23and was banned from breeding dogs for five years.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27The last puppy left the barn before Walsh was sent to prison
0:25:27 > 0:25:29and Greenacres Farm is now home to a local family.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33No puppies have been bred there since Walsh left.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Lisa Walsh was able to fool her customers
0:25:37 > 0:25:39because she was licensed as a breeder with the local
0:25:39 > 0:25:43authority and was registering her puppies with The Kennel Club.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48For Caroline Kisko, secretary at The Kennel Club,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Walsh's actions have violated the trust it extends to breeders.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56She was obviously defrauding people,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59not just The Kennel Club but many of the authorities.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01We, of course, were registering the dogs,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05based on the fact that she did have a local authority licence, which
0:26:05 > 0:26:09we have to rely on in order to know that somebody is a proper breeder.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13We also showed Caroline the photograph of Minnie,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16who was sold as a West Highland terrier.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21Well, it's certainly not a Westie. It could be any number of other breeds but it's not a Westie,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23that's for certain.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28In any case, where somebody is worried that their dog
0:26:28 > 0:26:32is not the breed that it's said to be, we will always follow up
0:26:32 > 0:26:37and we will send out an expert in the breed to go and check and,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41if it's not the breed that it's said to be, we will deregister the dog.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Although Walsh was registering her puppies with The Kennel Club,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47she wasn't signed up to the organisation's more stringent
0:26:47 > 0:26:49assured breeder scheme.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52We would much prefer that they actually went to our assured
0:26:52 > 0:26:56breeders who are checked by us.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59We make sure that way that they can absolutely be
0:26:59 > 0:27:02certain of getting a healthy and happy puppy.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05The Kennel Club, along with other animal welfare organisations,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09is pressing for the introduction of compulsory dog micro-chipping.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13The hope is the smarter technology can stop a faker like Walsh
0:27:13 > 0:27:16fooling the system again.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Despite being bred and raised in poor conditions, both Alfie
0:27:20 > 0:27:22and Minnie are now thriving.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Now he's just a crazy dog.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28He's all fixed up.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31He had to have both his hips replaced.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Now he's absolutely fantastic, loves life.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38He runs, he jumps, he pulls me everywhere.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41He loves swimming in the sea. He's just full of life.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45It's amazing what the vets have done for him
0:27:45 > 0:27:49and given him a second chance at life. Yes, it's all good now.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Minnie is wonderful, there's no way I'd change her.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Another time, I would probably go to a rescue centre.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59They look after dogs very, very well and actually check out
0:27:59 > 0:28:02the people who are buying dogs, which Mrs Walsh did not at all.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Over 10 million of us have purchased an iPhone,
0:28:12 > 0:28:17making this the most popular mobile phone ever sold in the UK.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Even an older model can sell for hundreds of pounds.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24Yet, you'd be smart not to part with your cash for one of these
0:28:24 > 0:28:28because, despite appearances, they're both fake.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32So what's the story behind the counterfeit iPhone
0:28:32 > 0:28:34and how can you spot a fake?
0:28:36 > 0:28:38This is Shen Xian in southern China,
0:28:38 > 0:28:40an industrial powerhouse of a city
0:28:40 > 0:28:44and this is where your iPhone, if you've got one, was manufactured.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Over 200,000 are produced every day.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49But there's also a flourishing trade in fakery.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54We found not just counterfeit iPhones but entire fake
0:28:54 > 0:28:59stores copying the logo and look of Apple who manufacture the iPhone.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03We were offered fakes in a number of different stores
0:29:03 > 0:29:05and after a little haggling...
0:29:11 > 0:29:15..we paid the equivalent of just £50 for our counterfeit iPhone.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22Peter Richardson is an industry analyst
0:29:22 > 0:29:24and a regular visitor to Shen Xian.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27We asked him to take a look at a Chinese counterfeit.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33This is very typical of our fake iPhone packaging.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36It looks superficially quite similar to the real thing.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38On the back, you've got the standard legal text
0:29:38 > 0:29:40you would find on any Apple product.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44A couple of the giveaways, though, it says 64GB memory.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47It won't be. It's, at best, 8GB.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51No faker is going to put 64GB's worth of memory in one of these things.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54The other thing is it says it's designed by Apple in California
0:29:54 > 0:29:57and assembled in the USA.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00On the genuine product it even says assembled in China.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02That's also a bit of a giveaway.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06Surprisingly, Peter believes most Chinese customers buy these phones
0:30:06 > 0:30:08knowing their fakes.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11The Chinese like to be seen with something that's premium,
0:30:11 > 0:30:13but not everyone can afford an iPhone.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15And they know they're buying a fake,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17but it's almost like a bit of fun.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19There's a term for it in Chinese - shanzhai ji -
0:30:19 > 0:30:21which roughly translates as bandit cellphone,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24and they happily buy these and replace them fairly frequently,
0:30:24 > 0:30:26because they know the quality isn't very good,
0:30:26 > 0:30:29but they don't pay very much for them, so they don't really care.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32But what's presented to the Chinese as fake,
0:30:32 > 0:30:35is being sold to the British customer as real,
0:30:35 > 0:30:37and many of these sales are taking place in the booming market
0:30:37 > 0:30:40for unwanted iPhone upgrades.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43There's a rich market for second-hand mobile phones,
0:30:43 > 0:30:45and iPhones, in particular.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47People really want to have one,
0:30:47 > 0:30:49and if you can't afford the brand-new product,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52there's plenty of second-hand products out there on the market.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56But that's the potential area where a fake could be slipped in.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58So, if you're using an auction site to buy a product,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01be careful you're not buying a fake product.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03Trading Standards teams across the country
0:31:03 > 0:31:06have discovered the fake phones when investigating suspected sellers
0:31:06 > 0:31:08of counterfeit goods.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12So, how convincing are these Chinese fakes?
0:31:12 > 0:31:15How much do you reckon it would be worth new?
0:31:15 > 0:31:17£500.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19I would've thought if you were buying it from the Apple shop,
0:31:19 > 0:31:22it would've been sort of £250, something like that.
0:31:22 > 0:31:23300 quid?
0:31:23 > 0:31:25What would you say if I told you it was a fake?
0:31:25 > 0:31:27Oh, God, er...
0:31:27 > 0:31:30I wouldn't believe you. It feels exactly like mine does in my pocket now,
0:31:30 > 0:31:32apart from it's got a cover on it.
0:31:32 > 0:31:33I wouldn't know that was a fake.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35I'd say it was a good fake.
0:31:38 > 0:31:39We asked Phone Heroes,
0:31:39 > 0:31:43a London-based iPhone repair specialist to take a closer look.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49All right, so let's have a look at the fake iPhone.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52Erm...first off, looking at it,
0:31:52 > 0:31:54it comes with a screen protector on it.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57Genuine Apple iPhones don't come with screen protectors on them.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00From a glance, it doesn't look too bad.
0:32:00 > 0:32:01Looking closely at it,
0:32:01 > 0:32:04you can actually feel that it's made out of plastic.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06Here we have the genuine Apple iPhone 5S
0:32:06 > 0:32:08and you can feel that the back of it is cold.
0:32:08 > 0:32:09It's aluminium.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12So, what's going on under the bonnet
0:32:12 > 0:32:15of both the real and the fake iPhone?
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Here you can see when you open the genuine Apple iPhone 5S
0:32:18 > 0:32:21that the screen is a completely separate unit from a phone,
0:32:21 > 0:32:24where you have speakers and home buttons.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27Where the fake one... is the phone itself.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31They've literally bodged on the battery, the motherboard, the speakers,
0:32:31 > 0:32:33all onto the back of the screen.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37And it's a completely different build to the original one.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Compared with the iPhone,
0:32:39 > 0:32:41the various parts of the counterfeit
0:32:41 > 0:32:42are crudely thrown together,
0:32:42 > 0:32:46and components are typical of those found in much cheaper models.
0:32:48 > 0:32:53But that's not all - this fake is dangerous.
0:32:53 > 0:32:54You can tell by the solder quality.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57The fake iPhone, the way they have actually soldered it
0:32:57 > 0:32:58is poor soldering.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01You can see here, you have your positives so close to your negatives,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04that the actual cable is millimetres away.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07So that can easily cause a short circuit,
0:33:07 > 0:33:08straight from the battery.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12There's nothing in there to break that circuit, if those two connect.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15If there was a short circuit, the battery could potentially
0:33:15 > 0:33:16set on fire, it could blow up.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18It could do anything, really.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20Things like that make it really unsafe,
0:33:20 > 0:33:21and clearly it hasn't been tested.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25Because if it had been tested, that wouldn't make it out of the factory.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27It's clearly just being pumped out as a fake mobile.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34So how can YOU check to see if your iPhone is a fake?
0:33:35 > 0:33:36So we've got two phones here -
0:33:36 > 0:33:38fake iPhone, the white one...
0:33:38 > 0:33:40and a genuine iPhone 5S.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44One of the things that make smartphones so popular
0:33:44 > 0:33:47is that you can get apps to help make the phone more useful.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51And for Apple users they all come from App Store.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55Both products have the icon for the Apple App Store,
0:33:55 > 0:33:59but, interestingly, the fake product also has an icon
0:33:59 > 0:34:00for the Google Play store
0:34:00 > 0:34:04which, really, indicates that this is an Android product,
0:34:04 > 0:34:07not an Apple IOS product.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10This is interesting.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Lots of smartphones are powered by an operating system
0:34:13 > 0:34:16called Android, but iPhones aren't.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Turn on this fake iPhone and you don't see the Apple logo,
0:34:20 > 0:34:22you get the word Android.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26Android users get their apps through the Google Play store,
0:34:26 > 0:34:28not through App Store.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30It's one or the other, chalk or cheese,
0:34:30 > 0:34:33so does the counterfeit App Store work?
0:34:35 > 0:34:39If we go to the app stores on both products,
0:34:39 > 0:34:43on the genuine product, you get the normal landing screen
0:34:43 > 0:34:44for the Apple App Store,
0:34:44 > 0:34:47but what we come to on the fake product
0:34:47 > 0:34:50is actually a fake App Store.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54Peter will try to download the app Subway Surfers,
0:34:54 > 0:34:56a very popular game.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59So once we launch Subway Surfers -
0:34:59 > 0:35:03interestingly, the description is in Chinese, which...
0:35:03 > 0:35:05You probably wouldn't find with the genuine product.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09And another giveaway is that the size of the game on the fake product
0:35:09 > 0:35:10is 26 megabytes,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13while on the genuine game it's over 50 megabytes.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15We can try and download the game,
0:35:15 > 0:35:17but it doesn't load properly
0:35:17 > 0:35:20and actually crashes when we try and play the game.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23We try again and again and again.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26But the fake App Store crashes every time.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30But if you're buying an iPhone outside of the Apple Store
0:35:30 > 0:35:32or a licensed reseller,
0:35:32 > 0:35:34what should you be looking out for?
0:35:34 > 0:35:37Really, it's good to get your hand on a product, use it,
0:35:37 > 0:35:40assure yourself that it is genuine before you part with your money.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Earlier, we were with Danny Lee-Frost
0:35:49 > 0:35:53as an enforcement team from the MHRA raided the house of a suspect.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57He was believed to be selling a slimming drug billed as 100% herbal
0:35:57 > 0:36:01but which, in fact, contains a dangerous pharmaceutical.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04The haul from the raid has been brought here
0:36:04 > 0:36:05to the MHRA's evidence store.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09This is where the agency keeps the huge quantities
0:36:09 > 0:36:12of illegal and counterfeit drugs they've seized.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Before carrying out the raid, the MHRA made a test purchase,
0:36:15 > 0:36:19which confirmed the presence of a banned drug called sibutramine,
0:36:19 > 0:36:21but that could've been a one-off.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25So Danny had tests run on a number of samples from the seizure.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27When it was analysed,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30it was found to contain 18 milligrams of sibutramine.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32This stuff has got it in there, it's not on the label,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35it's not mentioned anywhere on the pack -
0:36:35 > 0:36:38in fact, the pack says it's safe and 100% natural.
0:36:38 > 0:36:44Here in the UK, sibutramine was sold as a miracle drug called Reductil.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46It was banned in 2010.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48The 18 milligrams of sibutramine
0:36:48 > 0:36:52the MHRA have found in the fake herbal product,
0:36:52 > 0:36:53is nearly twice the standard dose
0:36:53 > 0:36:56that would've been found in Reductil when it was legally available.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59So, anyone taking this product is effectively increasing
0:36:59 > 0:37:02the risk of a side-effect.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Like the vast majority of counterfeit drugs here,
0:37:05 > 0:37:07they were sold online.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11We don't tend to see it in retail outlets.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15There's a lot more due diligence in those types of marketplaces.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18A retailer will do a lot more checks on their supplier
0:37:18 > 0:37:19before they buy this stuff,
0:37:19 > 0:37:22but you go online - all you know about the seller is
0:37:22 > 0:37:24he's got a glossy website.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27So when you go online and buy this stuff, it's like Russian roulette,
0:37:27 > 0:37:29you're just taking a chance with your health.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33Sibutramine was proscribed medicine,
0:37:33 > 0:37:36and, as such, no GP would have issued it to any patient
0:37:36 > 0:37:40suffering from a cardiovascular condition.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43Of course, the fakers don't care who they sell to.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47Moira Cosgrove is an experienced nutritionist.
0:37:47 > 0:37:52She understands why people order products and take on those risks.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55If someone is embarrassed about their weight
0:37:55 > 0:37:58and wants to try and do something
0:37:58 > 0:38:01without discussing it with anybody else,
0:38:01 > 0:38:03this offers the ideal opportunity
0:38:03 > 0:38:06for them to purchase a product like this.
0:38:06 > 0:38:11The risk is that they may be buying something unwittingly that,
0:38:11 > 0:38:13because of their medical history,
0:38:13 > 0:38:16could actually be dangerous for them.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22Danny's seen a rise in slimming pills masquerading as herbal products.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26We're seeing more of the types of products that are marketed as natural
0:38:26 > 0:38:28where the sibutramine is hidden.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31The fake herbal product the MHRA seize
0:38:31 > 0:38:33was sold through the seller's own website,
0:38:33 > 0:38:37but are versions of the product being sold on eBay -
0:38:37 > 0:38:39the UK's most popular auction website?
0:38:39 > 0:38:44We test-purchase two products from two different UK-based eBay sellers.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Both products were sold as 100% herbal.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Our packages arrived over the course of the following week.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56Professor Simon Gibbons heads up UCL's School of Pharmacy.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59He's an internationally recognised specialist
0:38:59 > 0:39:01in the study of herbal medicines.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04He wasn't surprised to learn that the fakers are fraudulently
0:39:04 > 0:39:08claiming their slimming pills are 100% herbal.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12We see adulteration with herbal medicinal products
0:39:12 > 0:39:13in many different areas -
0:39:13 > 0:39:18not only in slimming aids, but also anti-inflammatory drugs, for example.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21There are many, many examples of products
0:39:21 > 0:39:24which are being marketed predominantly as a single herb
0:39:24 > 0:39:25or a mixture of herbs
0:39:25 > 0:39:28and they actually contain pharmaceutical compounds.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31We asked Professor Gibbons and his team
0:39:31 > 0:39:34to establish if either of the products we purchased
0:39:34 > 0:39:35contained sibutramine.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41Both of them contained quite large concentrations of that compound present -
0:39:41 > 0:39:44approximately 40 to 50 milligrams of sibutramine.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49So our batch of the fake herbal drug contains even more sibutramine
0:39:49 > 0:39:51than the pills seized by the MHRA.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55The side-effects from sibutramine are well-known,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58including increased heart rate and blood pressure in some patients,
0:39:58 > 0:40:00and a greater risk of heart attack and stroke
0:40:00 > 0:40:03in those with cardiovascular disease.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05That's why it was banned.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08What's less well understood is the psychological impact
0:40:08 > 0:40:11sibutramine can have when taken in extreme doses.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15Compounds like sibutramine in high dose
0:40:15 > 0:40:18can release a large amount of serotonin
0:40:18 > 0:40:19which will affect mood,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22it can make people low, can make people depressed.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26It needs proper supervision, you cannot have these sorts of compounds
0:40:26 > 0:40:29in these preparations without some sort of control.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35Maria Konski lost her best friend 10 years ago.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37Her name was Lydia Landans
0:40:37 > 0:40:40and she committed suicide weeks after buying a pack
0:40:40 > 0:40:42of the fake supplement.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47Maria's friend had no previous history of mental illness
0:40:47 > 0:40:50and tests of the remains of the product confirmed
0:40:50 > 0:40:52the presence of sibutramine.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Maria knew Lydia better than anyone.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59Friends since childhood, they moved to London 10 years ago,
0:40:59 > 0:41:01but shortly before her tragic death,
0:41:01 > 0:41:04friends and family noticed a sudden change in Lydia's behaviour.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08She had a bit of paranoia.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12She said things like, "There's something dark behind me."
0:41:14 > 0:41:17After her death, Maria set out to discover
0:41:17 > 0:41:19how common these side-effects are.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22The more I looked on forums,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25the more confirmation I was getting.
0:41:25 > 0:41:31There was a woman who said that she did experience suicidal thoughts
0:41:31 > 0:41:33and she nearly committed suicide,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36but, luckily, she managed to stop.
0:41:36 > 0:41:41Frustrated by the ongoing trade in sibutramine-laced products,
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Maria went online to warn others of the dangers.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Her efforts generated a mixed response.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51There are people who are interested who would ask questions.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56The sellers would usually remove the video immediately,
0:41:56 > 0:41:59ban my account and I'd have to create a new one.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04These products aren't just sold on the internet,
0:42:04 > 0:42:07they're marketed there, and this aggressive marketing
0:42:07 > 0:42:11is a cause for concern for nutritionist Moyra Cosgrove.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14There's no doubt that the reviews of a product
0:42:14 > 0:42:17like this are very powerful.
0:42:17 > 0:42:22Whether they're genuine or not, of course, is another matter entirely.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25But this will have an effect on people's buying behaviour,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28and lead them to make the purchase.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32Maria plans to continue posting
0:42:32 > 0:42:34whenever she sees anyone pushing the fake product.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39I don't want anything like that to happen to anyone else,
0:42:39 > 0:42:41and the worst thing is that someone
0:42:41 > 0:42:43can be going through the same thing
0:42:43 > 0:42:46and their family wouldn't even know what was going on.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51The details of the seller of the fake herbal drug we purchased
0:42:51 > 0:42:53have been passed to eBay,
0:42:53 > 0:42:57while the seller of the drug raided by the MHRA has received a caution,
0:42:57 > 0:43:01and his product with a street value of over £50,000
0:43:01 > 0:43:02has been destroyed.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.