Interpol seizes €6.5m worth of illegal medicines posing 'significant threat to consumer safety'

The medicines 'represent a major source of income for transnational organised crime groups and support other crime activity', Interpol warned.

Interpol has seized over €6.5m worth of illegal medicines and shut over 1,300 criminal websites in a major crackdown across 89 countries, including Ireland.

Erectile dysfunction medications were the most commonly seized products at 22% of the total haul, followed by psychotherapeutic agents, including anti-depressants at 19%.

Sex hormones and gastrointestinal medicines made up 12% of the fake or illegally sold products seized. Overall, Operation Pangea XVI led to 72 arrests and 325 new investigations.

The medicines “represent a major source of income for transnational organised crime groups and support other crime activity”, Interpol warned.

It said the annual campaign, which ran from October 3 to 10 this year, focuses on medicines posing “a significant threat to consumer safety”.

These include counterfeit medicines and medicines diverted from legal and regulated supply chains.

In Australia, 11,000 covid-19 irregular test kits were seized, which Interpol said shows "continued criminal exploitation of the pandemic”.

Customs officers in Qatar seized 2,500 prescription painkillers hidden in cereal boxes which were taken from a passenger flying in from Bangladesh.

Some 13,000 counterfeit and/or expired pain medicines were confiscated during searches at a bus depot between Peru and Ecuador. 

In Mozambique, authorities seized 9,000 bottles of suspected counterfeit cough syrups. 

Jürgen Stock, Interpol secretary general, warned: "Counterfeit medicines and the misuse of regulated medication is a significant threat to public safety around the world. 

“Operation Pangea XVI removed a large amount of illegal and potentially life-threatening products off the streets and dismantled criminal networks trafficking such goods.

The operation underlines the continuing need for a coordinated and global response against the threat posed by illicit medicines and transnational organised crime groups.” 

Support was provided by Europol, the World Customs Organisation, World Health Organization, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Narcotics Control Board, the Pharmaceutical Security Institute, and national health regulatory agencies.

In Ireland, the Health Products Regulatory Authority recently warned consumers against online sales of products claiming to have the same ingredient as popular weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.

It said seizures shot up to 254 units so far this year compared to just 32 last year,im  including products claiming to be generic semaglutide medicines. 

Grainne Power, director of compliance, warned: “We have no information on when they were sourced or where, and under what conditions they were manufactured.”