Global crackdown on illicit pharmaceuticals sees $15.5 million in seizures

May 7 (Reuters) – Interpol said on Thursday an operation across 90 countries and territories has resulted in the seizure of 6.42 million doses of unapproved and counterfeit pharmaceuticals worth $15.5 million.

• Operation Pangea XVIII led to 269 arrests and the dismantling of 66 criminal groups involved in the illicit pharmaceutical trade, the organization said.

• Among the most seized products were erectile dysfunction medications, sedatives, analgesics, antibiotics and anti-smoking products.

• Digital enforcement operations disrupted about 5,700 criminal-linked websites, social media pages, channels and automated bots used to market and sell illicit medicines, according to the organization.

• High demand for GLP-1 medicines, originally developed to treat diabetes but now widely used for weight loss, has “opened up new opportunities for criminal networks”, Interpol said.

• Illicit versions are often manufactured in Asia and sold online for as low as $10. In some cases, they have been found to contain sibutramine, a substance banned in many countries due to links to heart attacks and strokes.

• Unlike other regions, seizures in Africa mainly comprised essential medicines such as painkillers, antibiotics and antimalarials, Interpol said.

• These products are often sold through informal markets where healthcare access is limited, but many were substandard, falsified, expired or unsafe.

(Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)