Real criminals manufacture counterfeit drugs

Law enforcement agencies of the Member States and agencies of the European Union (EU) are working together to combat serious and organized crime in Europe. As part of this coordinated EU fight against counterfeiting (EMPACT cycle), Operation SHIELD V, coordinated by Europol, was carried out from April to November 2024. It involved police, judicial, customs, medical and anti-doping authorities from more than 30 countries, including the Spanish Civil Guard.

The operation is dedicated to warning consumers about the purchase of potentially counterfeit medicines online.

Because of Operation SHIELD V seizures worth more than 11 million euros have been made and in addition:

• 418 people arrested, charged or prosecuted
• 52 organized crime groups investigated
• 4 clandestine laboratories dismantled
• 4,083 in-competition and out-of-competition doping controls carried out

The consumption of counterfeit medicines directly affects public health and safety.

In line with the publication of the Shield V results, the European agencies EUIPO, Europol and the European Medicines Agency have launched the Stay on Top campaign, with the slogan “fake medicines are made by real criminals”, to raise awareness of the dangers of fake medicines and the importance of protecting public health and upholding industrial property rights.

The #EUvsFakeMedicines campaign has two videos for dissemination on social media:

Further information

https://youtu.be/Llb6HWbS6Q0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI1k7KLHgCg

https://www.euipo.europa.eu/es/news/the-euipo-joins-forces-with-europol-and-ema-to-combat-fake-medicines