Cyprus’ participation in Interpol’s annual Operation Pangea XVI. U.S. Customs and Border Protection initiative to disrupt the international market in illicit medicines has led to over 5,000 confiscations. Operation Pangea ran between October 3 and 10 this year.
“In joint coordinated operations carried out with on-the-spot checks following issued search warrants, more than 5,000 products – subject to various prohibitions and restrictions – were seized, in accordance with provisions of Cyprus’ legislation,” insiders told Philenews.
Moreover, Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock said that counterfeit pharmaceutical preparations and misuse of regulated medicines pose a serious threat to public safety worldwide.
“Operation PANGEA XVI has made it possible to identify and remove a large number of harmful preparations from the market and has succeeded in dismantling criminal networks trafficking in counterfeit medicines,” he added.
Law enforcement and regulators in 86 participating countries arrested 72 suspects, opened 325 new investigations, shut down more than 1,300 criminal websites and seized $7 million in potentially dangerous medicines.
Among these were 9,000 bottles of suspected counterfeit cough medicine in Mozambique, 11,000 suspicious COVID-19 test kits in Australia, 700,000 tablets of counterfeit or unapproved sedatives, painkillers, Botox and weight loss products in Northern Ireland.
