Security News > 2021 > June > Interpol shuts down thousands of fake online pharmacies
The Interpol has taken down thousands of online marketplaces that posed as pharmacies and pushed dangerous fake and illicit drugs and medicine.
This record number of illicit online pharmacies was shut down during Operation Pangea XIV, which targeted online sellers of counterfeit and illegal pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
Law enforcement agencies, customs, and health regulatory authorities from 92 countries coordinated by Interpol took down "113,020 web links including websites and online marketplaces being closed down or removed."
"In the UK, in addition to the seizure of some three million fake medicines and devices worth more than USD 13 million, authorities also removed more than 3,100 advertising links for the illegal sale and supply of unlicensed medicines, and shut down 43 websites," the Interpol added.
During Operation Pangea XIV, law enforcement agents also checked packages delivered from online stores and found fake and illicit drugs hidden amongst legitimate products like clothes, toys, and even food.
Targeting counterfeit and illicit medicines and medical products, a record number of fake online pharmacies were shut down under INTERPOL's Operation Pangea XIV pic.