A man is jailed after selling drugs at his mother’s pharmacy.

David Ihenagwa, 40, of Edmonton was using his mother’s pharmacy in east London as a base for his criminal enterprise in supplying class B and class C controlled drugs from September 2015 to April 2016.

He has now been sentenced to six years in prison at Croydon Crown Court.

The investigations started after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) seized 13,440 codeine phosphate tablets from an address in Stoke-on-Trent on June 8, 2016.

The drugs were then traced back to the pharmacy where Ihenagwa worked as a secretary.

It was found that Ihenagwa regularly purchased large quantities of tablets from a licensed wholesale dealer in Surrey and would sell the drugs at the pharmacy.

Further investigations found that Ihenagwa sold the drugs at least 23 times to a criminal group which was then distributed around the country.

Ihenagwa was charged with supplying Codeine Phosphate, a class B drug and 4 charges of supplying Diazepam, Zopiclone, Lorazepam, and Tramadol, all class C drugs.

All the drugs are prescription-only medicines. Proceedings to confiscate the proceeds of Ihenagwa’s criminal activity are now underway.

Mark Jackson, MHRA head of enforcement said: “It is a serious criminal offence to sell controlled drugs which are also prescription only medicines without a prescription.

“We work relentlessly with regulatory and law enforcement colleagues to identify and prosecute those involved.

“Those who sell medicines illegally are exploiting vulnerable people and have no regard for their health. Prescription-only medicines are potent and should only be taken under medical supervision."