ROMA (ITALPRESS) – International vine tour against illicit drug trafficking, medical devices and electronic cigarettes. From 10th to 23rd March the 18th edition of the “Pangea” operation, coordinated worldwide by Interpol, has seen the participation of 90 countries united in counterfeiting, smuggling and theft in the health sector.
The overall budget of the operation is massive: over 6 million fake drugs seized, worth $15 million. Police forces around the world have started 392 investigations, arrested 269 people, dismantled 66 criminal organizations and obscured 5,700 websites and illegal social channels.
In Italy the controls focused on the main postal airport hubs and express couriers. Mixed teams composed by Carabinieri dei NAS, Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM) and Guardia di Finanza, with the support of AIFA, have intercepted and seized almost 20,000 illegal drugs destined to the Italian market, for a value of more than 20,000 euros.
Among the illicit trends emerging is the return of antiparasitics such as ivermectin and fenbendazole (the latter for veterinary use), illegally advertised on the web as alleged anti-cancer therapy.
The illegal import of doping substances, medicines for erectile dysfunction and weight loss products remains high, such as semaglutis. At the same time, local controls have led the NAS to denounce abusive sales in ethnic stores and to demand obscurement to the Ministry of Health of 32 illegal websites.
Also the Guardia di Finanza has carried out important seizure in the airport ports of Rome, Naples, Pisa and Venice, obscuring 10 more abusive websites thanks to the monitoring of the Special Nucleus Technological Frodi. The operation has allowed to tighten the security links and collect key elements for the ongoing investigations.
– Photos: Press Office Guardia di Finanza –
(ITALPRESS).
