An operation coordinated by Interpol in 90 countries, including Portugal, resulted in the seizure of 50.4 million illicit pharmaceutical products, worth US$65 million, on an “alarming scale” of global trade in unauthorised and falsified medicines.
Information published today on the Interpol website states that “Operation Pangea XVII,” which has been in operation for 17 years and culminated in the arrest of 769 suspects and the dismantling of 123 criminal groups around the world between December 2024 and May 2025.
With regard to Portugal, Interpol says that steroids and anabolic steroids were discovered in eight prisons in the country, revealing evidence of a criminal network that smuggles illicit substances into correctional units, but without mentioning arrests or the value of the seized products.
Interpol said the arrests and seizures were the largest in the operation’s 17-year history, noting that nerve agents, including psychostimulants, anxiolytics, and drugs for Parkinson’s disease, topped the list of the most seized type of product, with erectile dysfunction drugs in second place.
Other types of products commonly seized include anabolic steroids, anti-diabetic drugs, anti-smoking products, dermatological agents, health supplements, herbal products, and psychotherapeutic agents.
The director of Interpol’s Organised and Emerging Crime area, David Caunter, points out in the publication that counterfeit and unapproved medicines “pose a serious risk to public health,” as they may contain dangerous or illegal ingredients, with the potential to cause serious illness or even death.
He further states that the rapid growth of online platforms has made it easier for these dangerous drugs to reach people, in addition to opening up new opportunities for criminal networks to exploit, stressing the importance of “Pangea” operations for countries to take measures to protect people’s health and keep health systems safe.
This latest operation revealed a growing demand for anti-diabetic drugs and peptide supplements (molecules formed by the union of two or more amino acids), driven by the increase in self-medication.
This trend is, according to Interpol, being driven by the widespread promotion and availability of these drugs on social media and online, creating lucrative and relatively low-risk opportunities for criminal networks that sell counterfeit or low-quality products.
Data from participating countries indicate an increasing circulation of illicit antidiabetic drugs around the world due to their weight loss effects, with unapproved and potentially fake drugs seized in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America.
The seizures corroborate recent warnings from the World Health Organisation and several national health regulators, warning of emerging risks associated with GLP-1-related injectable drugs (GLP-1 analogous drugs are used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity).
Interpol said that “Operation Pangea XVII” revealed another emerging trend, which is the growing demand for peptide supplements due to their aesthetic and performance-enhancing benefits, especially in countries in Europe, North America, and Oceania.
In total, security agencies around the world have launched 1,728 investigations and issued 847 search warrants against criminal networks involved in the illicit distribution of pharmaceutical products.
About 93% of the illicit pharmaceuticals seized did not have regulatory approval from national health authorities, and the remaining 7% were confirmed to be counterfeit, misappropriated, or misbranded.
Large seizures of various illicit pharmaceuticals have been similarly reported in Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, among other countries.
“Operation Pangea XVII” also led to the closure of approximately 13,000 websites, channels, and bots (computers designed to perform automated tasks in a repetitive and fast way) linked to criminals and used to market and sell illegal or counterfeit medicines.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
