Europol issues warning over online drug purchases

A crackdown on the sale of counterfeit medicines online, coordinated by Europol, has resulted in the seizure of items worth around €11.1m ($11.6m) and made 418 arrests.

The operation – called SHIELD V – was carried out between April and November 2024, and involved law enforcement, judicial, customs, medical and anti-doping authorities from 30 countries.

By the numbers, Operation SHIELD investigated more than 50 criminal organisations, and dismantled four underground labs making falsified medicines, with the seizures including more than 426,000 packs of medicines, 4,000kg of raw materials, 108 litres of active pharmaceutical ingredients, nearly 175,000 vials and ampoules, and 4.7m tablets oral dosage forms.

The seizures represent a steep decline on the fourth edition of the operation reported a year ago, which netted €64m of illicit medicines and saw 1,300 people detained.

The operation was supported by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), Frontex, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and national medicine agencies.

"Pharmaceutical crime has a direct impact on public health and safety, as it affects individuals, communities and national healthcare systems," said Europol in a statement on the operation.

"It generates enormous financial losses for legitimate companies, undermines brand credibility but also endangers investments in research."

Europol has just published a report (PDF) on intellectual property crime affecting pharmaceuticals in Europe, saying the criminal activity is "global and growing" and is being "fostered by international organised crime."

Meanwhile, Europol, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have come together to raise awareness about this issue and how they work to protect people against this threat with a campaign badged up as "Stay on top: don't buy fake medicines" (see below)