A 27-year-old woman was arrested today for selling online a box of SM capsules, a slimming product with undeclared and banned drug substances.

The Department of Health obtained the product earlier from an Internet auction website and found it to contain sibutramine and phenolphthalein.

The Police arrested the seller for the illegal sale of a Part I poison and an unregistered pharmaceutical product.

Sibutramine is also a Part I poison. Products containing sibutramine have been banned since November 2010 because of increased cardiovascular risk.

Phenolphthalein has been banned for its cancer-causing effects.

The sale of unregistered pharmaceutical products and illegal sale of Part I poisons are criminal offences, each with a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment and a fine of $100,000.

Anyone who bought the product should stop using it immediately and consult a doctor if they feel unwell. They should also send it to the department's Drug Office at Room 1856, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, during office hours.