Between April and November 2024, law enforcement, judicial, customs, medical and anti-doping authorities from 30 countries joined forces in Operation SHIELD V. Europol, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, coordinated this global effort targeting the trafficking of counterfeit and misused medicines and illicit doping substances. 

As in the previous editions, the 2024 operation was supported by the European Anti-Fraud Office, European Union Intellectual Property Office, Frontex (European Border and Coast Guard Agency), World Anti-Doping Agency and national medicine agencies.

Preliminary results of Operation SHIELD V

• 418 individuals arrested, charged, or under prosecution 
• 52 organized crime groups investigated
• Four underground labs dismantled
• Total seizures worth above EUR11.1 million (US$11.5 million), including: 
  • 426,016 illegal packages of illegal pharmaceuticals
  • 4,111 kilograms of powder and raw material
  • 108 liters of active ingredient
  • 174,968 vials and ampoules 
  • over 4,683,426 tablets and pills 
• 4,083 anti-doping “in and out competition” controls carried out

Pharmaceutical crime is a growing threat in the EU

Pharmaceutical crime has a direct impact on public health and safety, as it affects individuals, communities and national healthcare systems. It generates enormous financial losses for legitimate companies, undermines brand credibility but also endangers investments in research. 

Selling sub-standard, falsely labelled, or falsified pharmaceutical products, as well as products diverted from the legal supply chain, organized crime networks are behind a wide range of illicit medicines and doping substances. 

Fake medicines traded in the EU are on the rise, which comes with a huge cost for the individual and society. 

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, risks consumers’ health, and undermines the economy. Consumers are warned to be mindful to not fund organized crime or harm themselves by buying fake medicines.

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