Major Europol operation against pharmaceutical crime networks – 3,354 individuals prosecuted
Between April and November 2025, law enforcement, judicial, customs, medical and anti-doping authorities from 30 countries, including from Georgia and Moldova, joined forces in Operation SHIELD VI, coordinated by the EU Agency Europol.
As a result, 3,354 individuals were prosecuted, 907 investigations launched, 43 organised crime groups investigated, five underground labs seized, 10 assembly sites seized, and 66 websites taken down. The total value of the seized items, including medicines, doping substances, medical devices and food supplement, amounts to €33 million.
The operation focused on counterfeit and falsified medicines, the trafficking of anabolic-androgenic steroids and other doping substances, illegal food and sport supplements, and counterfeit sanitary products and medical devices.
“Operation SHIELD VI highlighted several critical public health threats, including the proliferation of counterfeit Semaglutide-based products used as fat-burners and the increasing availability of fake medicines containing potent synthetic substances, such as nitazenes,” Europol said in a press release.
According to Europol, social media and online marketplaces, both on the surface and on the dark web, continue to be central to the trade of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. These platforms provide various degrees of anonymity and target wide audiences, making it challenging to identify the criminal actors involved.
“Purchasing fake medicines pays criminals, poses a risk to consumers’ health, and undermines the economy, damaging legitimate businesses and innovation that rely on intellectual property protection,” Europol said.
As in the previous operations, the 2025 edition was supported by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), Frontex, INTERPOL, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and national medicine agencies.
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