Filenews 15 November 2023
For the 13th consecutive year, the Republic of Cyprus participated in Operation PANGEA XVI, which took place between 03 and 10 October 2023. The operation was carried out simultaneously globally, with the participation of 89 INTERPOL Member Countries, to detect and seize falsified medicines and medical devices traded online.
The operation is co-organized by INTERPOL, EUROPOL, World Customs Organization (WCO), the Permanent Forum on Global Pharmaceutical Crime (PFIPC), the Working Group of EU Member State Pharmacoregulatory Authorities (HMA WGEO), FDA America, pharmaceutical quality control laboratories from around the world and other private entities.
During the operation, a total of illegal pharmaceutical products with an estimated total value of more than €6.5 million were seized worldwide. In addition, 1,300 illegal websites have been identified and deleted and 325 cases are being investigated, while 72 people have been arrested for related offences. A large proportion of those seized, 19%, concerned psychotherapeutic preparations.
Operation PANGEA XVI in Cyprus was carried out with the participation of the Pharmaceutical Services, the Department of Customs, the Department of Postal Services, the Department of Health Services, the Competent Authority of Medical Equipment, the Service of Industry and Technology, the State Chemical Laboratory, the Veterinary Services and the Cyprus Police, which was also responsible for coordinating the whole operation.
In joint coordinated operations carried out through on-the-spot inspections based on search warrants on premises, more than 5,000 products falling under various prohibitions and restrictions were seized, in accordance with the provisions of the Cyprus Legislation.
According to statements by INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock, falsified pharmaceuticals and the misuse of regulated medicines pose a serious threat to public safety worldwide. Operation PANGEA XVI made it possible to identify and remove from the market a large number of harmful preparations and dismantled criminal networks trafficking falsified medicines.
