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Global operation
strikes at online supply of illegal and counterfeit medicines
worldwide Press Release In the largest operation of its kind, 81 countries
take part in an international week of action targeting the sale on
the internet of counterfeit and illegal medicines, resulting in
dozens of arrests and the seizure of 2.4 million potentially
harmful medicines worldwide. Its aim was to disrupt online criminal networks
and activities connected with the selling of fake medicines
online, such as credit card fraud, and to raise public awareness
of the health risks linked to purchasing medicines online. It was coordinated by INTERPOL, the World Customs
Organization (WCO), the Permanent Forum of International
Pharmaceutical Crime (PFIPC), the Heads of Medicines Agencies
Working Group of Enforcement Officers (HMA WGEO), the
Pharmaceutical Security Industry (PSI) and the electronic payments
industry.
“Organized crime has been dealt a hard blow and its networks
severely disrupted as evidenced by the successes achieved by
Operation Pangea IV and its laudable efforts to stop trafficking
in medicines that are often fatal to consumers,” said WCO
Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya.
“INTERPOL's member countries and partners have shown through the success of Operation Pangea IV that the internet is not an anonymous safe haven for criminals trafficking illicit medicines,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble. Mikuriya and Noble extended their thanks to Customs and police officers in the 81 participating countries as well as health regulatory officials in the UK and US and Customs agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for their critical support, stressing that effective and close coordination is the way forward in combating the illegal online trade of medicines. During the week-long internet monitoring operation, more than 60 Customs administrations and seven WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices (RILOs) shared information using CENcomm, the Organization’s secure communication tool. INTERPOL's Lyon headquarters coordinated all intelligence and information collected during the Operation, seeing almost 13,500 websites engaged in illegal activity shut down and some 45,500 packages inspected by regulators and Customs authorities, of which almost 8,000 were seized and 2.4 million illicit and counterfeit pills originating from 48 countries confiscated. Seizures included antibiotics, steroids,
anti-cancer, anti-depression and anti-epileptic pills, as well as
slimming and food supplements with some 55 individuals currently
under investigation or under arrest for a range of offences,
including illegally manufacturing, selling and supplying
unlicensed or prescription-only medicines.
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Source: ICAO Security Manual (Doc 8973)
