ONLINE TRADE
Operation Pangea also saw the shutdown of approximately 13,000 criminal-linked websites, social media pages, channels, and bots used to market and sell illegal or falsified medicines.
Interpol commended the efforts of various national authorities in monitoring and taking down the online listings.
“Malaysia and Singapore have been very active participants in this operation for years, with the steady shutdown of listings as an important component in the fight against pharmaceutical trafficking,” said Meijuto Rodriguez.
Malaysia was responsible for 7,000 of the takedowns, the highest number recorded by any country. This was followed by Russia, Ireland, Singapore and Iran.
The five countries collectively accounted for 96 per cent of all listings taken down.
“Unlike physical stores, online sellers can disappear or change the platform overnight, which makes our enforcement more complicated,” said Zawawi.
“Many people don’t realise the risk of unregistered products and are easily misled by flashy advertisements or social media influencers.”
The trade in counterfeit medicine is not just a crime but a threat to public health linked to more than a million deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization.
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