The police launched investigations into a medicines importation company in Malta after receiving information from the UK about counterfeit pills having been imported in Britain from Malta, a court was told today.

Police Inspector Antonovitch Muscat spoke about the investigation when he gave evidence in the case instituted against Mario Debono, 43 of St Julian's, (president of the pharmaceutical section of the GRTU) Jean-Paul Tabone, 42, of Balzan and his brother Mark Louis Tabone, 41, from Tal-Ibraġ. The three are directors of Alpha Pharma Ltd.

They stand accused of importing medicine without a licence and breaching intellectual property rights.

All have pleaded not guilty.

The inspector said that in 2006 the police received confidential information about the transit of fake medicines from Alpha Pharma. Customs and the Medicines Authority received similar information.

In December of that year, a raid was carried out in a warehouse belonging to the company and a quantity of pills of 18 brands was seized and sent for analysis.

It resulted that all the pills were genuine except for a brand which carried the name Plavix, Such pills were produced by Sanofi Aventis, but the pills found in the warehouse were counterfeit. Those pills, the inspector said, were found in a box that was kept separately from the other medicines.

The inspector said it was established that the pills had been imported to Malta from outside the EU, without a licence. The Medicines Authority imposed an administrative fine on the company for illegal imports, but after the company did not pay up, police action was instituted.

Defence lawyer George Hyzler pointed out that his clients did not pay the administrative fine because they wanted to contest it in a court. He also pointed out that the box containing the pills found to be counterfeit had been 'quarantined' from the rest.

The case continues.