On Monday, charges are brought against four men suspected of smuggling in and selling large quantities of pregabalin, also known under the Lyrica brand. Three of the men must have smuggled in the drug from China via the air freight to Sturup, Kastrup and Arlanda.

The suspected men, who are between 22 and 30 years old and resident in Malmö, should have repackaged the powder into capsules and then resold it via mail to various customers.

- It is an assumption that this has happened via the network. We have not been able to link them sufficiently to any specific site, ”says Stefan Gradler, chamber prosecutor at the national unit against international and organized crime.

"Is about very large quantities"

"There's a lot of money in this," says Stefan Gradler.

The charge includes 190 kg of pregabalin that the men are suspected to have handled between October 2018 to March this year.

- It's about very large quantities. This is the first charge of the order of magnitude that I know of, says Stefan Gradler.

The suspects deny crime.

Pregabalin is used as a medicine for epilepsy and anxiety

Pregabalin is used primarily for epilepsy, neuropathic pain and anxiety disorders. But it can also give a sense of euphoria and is used as a sedative.

According to the World Medicines World, the Swedish Forensic Administration reported four deaths in 2017 due to poisoning with pregabalin and another 67 deaths where pregabalin had contributed.

The drug was classified in 2018. The reason was that, according to the Swedish Medicines Agency, a growing black market for pregabalin had been seen and that drug use had increased.

"We've been watching this for a long time"

The growing black market has been marked not least by the customs in the South. There you have seen how large batches of powder are smuggled into Sweden from mainly China, where different groups then package themselves into capsules.

- It is then sold on, preferably via the Internet. And there are no registered pharmacies doing that business, says Martin Petersson, chief operating officer at the Customs Administration Syd.

Even before the drug was classified as a drug, the Customs Administration in Skåne had a look at the drug and which groupings handled it.

- We have managed to knock out a couple of groups that are under investigation now, says Martin Petersson at the Customs Administration.

SVT News Skåne will report on the prosecution on Monday.