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Company fined for selling herbal remedies containing banned products
A traditional Chinese firm which sold herbal remedies containing endangered plants has been fined more than £20,000.
Beijing Tong Ren Tang UK Ltd, which has a high street shop in Westminster and a warehouse in Brent, admitted two charges of transporting for sale and five charges of keeping for sale traditional Chinese medicines suspected of containing ingredients from endangered plants.
On February 22, the Met Police wildlife crime unit led a series of raids across London, based on intelligence that endangered species of plants and animals were being used in medicines.
Officers worked with the UK Border Agency and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency to carry out search warrants at a shop in Shaftesbury Avenue, a warehouse in Brent and a property in St Johns Wood Road, all linked to the firm.
Following the seizures of illegal plant remedies at the shop and warehouse, the company director was interviewed by police and claimed that two versions of the herbal remedies with the same general packaging were available worldwide, and that the company always tried to stock the correct version which did not contain any banned products.
But at Westminster Magistrates Court on August 20, the company was fined £21,000 for the seven charges.
After the hearing, Sergeant Ian Knox from the wildlife crime unit, said: "Most traditional Chinese medicines are perfectly legal. However, a small number of people continue to trade in illegal product containing ingredients from endangered species.
"This trade threatens some of the world's most iconic species, and it will continue as long as the demand exists.
"The MPS works closely with the Chinese medicine trade to increase awareness of banned products and ensure that legal alternatives are used instead.
"We all have a part to play in stopping the illegal trade, and if anyone has suspicions about products they have seen on sale, I would urge them to contact police."
Source: Westminister Chronicle