Interpol said on Thursday that a global operation spanning 90 countries and territories led to the seizure of 6.42 million doses of counterfeit and unapproved pharmaceutical products valued at approximately $15.5 million.
- Interpol said Operation Pangea XVIII resulted in 269 arrests and the dismantling of 66 criminal networks involved in the illegal pharmaceutical trade.
- The organization stated that the most commonly seized products included medications for erectile dysfunction, sedatives, painkillers, antibiotics, and smoking-cessation products.
- According to Interpol, digital enforcement efforts also disrupted nearly 5,700 websites, social media accounts, online channels, and automated bots connected to the marketing and sale of illegal medicines.
- Interpol noted that rising demand for GLP-1 drugs, originally developed for diabetes treatment but now widely used for weight loss, has created new opportunities for criminal organizations.
- The agency said counterfeit versions of these medicines are frequently produced in Asia and sold online for as little as $10. Some of the seized products were found to contain sibutramine, a banned substance linked to increased risks of heart attacks and strokes.
- Unlike other regions, pharmaceutical seizures in Africa mainly involved essential medicines such as antibiotics, pain relievers, and antimalarial drugs, Interpol added.
- Many of these products were sold through informal markets with limited healthcare access and were discovered to be expired, falsified, substandard, or otherwise unsafe for use.
