Two men who ran a webshop called Funcaps which sold fake and illegal medicine to the general public are involved in the deaths of at least 27 people, the public prosecution department said on Monday.

Jord van W and Stefan P, aged 31 and 30 and both from Limburg, have been charged with earning millions of euros from the sale of fake tranquilisers and sleeping pills which are only available on prescription, as well as designer drugs.

The duo were already closed down and have faced charges in Belgium – where they were given community service – but continued to trade in the Netherlands. They were arrested in August this year along with a third man who has been released.

The public prosecutor told the court in Zwolle the men sold the drugs online with a warning that they were not fit for human consumption, but said this is not enough to get them off the hook.

Funcaps products played a possible role in at least 27 deaths, the department said. In some cases it is clear that the victim had taken drugs supplied by the website and in 12 cases the victims had a delivery from Funcaps within two weeks of their death. A further 22 deaths may also be linked to the website.

The website offered free gifts for large orders as well as a discount scheme and described its illegal medicines collection as “research chemicals”. The website also sold sex toys, smoking tools and smart drugs, promising “discrete packaging” to clients.

“Your earnings model is the trade in human misery,” the prosecutor said during Monday’s pro-forma hearing. “It poses a danger, especially to young people. You cannot hide behind a few stickers saying it is not for human consumption.”

The product safety board’s investigations unit has appealed for other people who bought medicines and drugs via the website and who went on to develop health problems to come forward. A number of those who have come forward already were minors, the AD reported.

The main trial will take place next year.