Cyprus Involved in Fake Medication Busts - Europol

Operation Tribulus, led by Spain’s Guardia Civil in Murcia, coordinated by Europol, and involving the Financial Intelligence Unit in Cyprus, has resulted in six individuals being arrested and almost 300 000 doses of fake medication seized, said Europol in a statement.

The suspects are thought to have been responsible for the import and distribution of large amounts of dangerous counterfeit medicines in Europe. House raids and subsequent arrests at the end of last week in Spain (four people: 1 Spanish, 1 Dutch and 2 Romanian citizens), and the UK (2 British citizens) were the result of an international police operation spanning several months.

Europol had its mobile office present in Murcia ready to assist during the day of arrests with direct access to Europol’s intelligence databases. The members of the criminal gang were importing fake pharmaceuticals from Asia – mainly China and Singapore – and distributing them via the internet to ‘customers’ throughout Europe.

Amongst the drugs on sale by the criminals were well-known brands, as well as generic medicines manufactured in clandestine laboratories in the source countries. Unlicensed, untested and potentially laced with dangerous filler ingredients, fake medicine can put users’ health, and even life, at risk. It is very common for counterfeit medication to contain no active ingredients and often they are made using ineffective or dangerous substances which can cause liver damage, irreversible health problems or even prove to be fatal, said Europol.

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