Criminals target various pharmaceutical products, such as synthetic opioids, cancer drugs, painkillers, performance-enhancing drugs and antivirals, Europol writes. But recently, there has been a “worrying trend” of illicit trade of semaglutide drugs, prescribed to treat diabetes but increasingly being illegally resold for weight loss.
“Criminal actors primarily use fake prescriptions to obtain genuine diabetes pens for onward illicit resale at a higher premium, but also distribute falsified products, mainly imported from outside the EU,” Europol writes.
Between April and November 2024, law enforcement agencies seized €11.1 million worth of fake medicines and arrested 418 people.
A growing shortage of medicines in several countries, along with rising demand, are key elements that fuel the market.
Pharmaceutical crime has a direct impact on public health and safety, causing financial losses for legitimate companies, undermining brand credibility and endangering investments in research, according to the report.
“Pharmaceutical crime will continue, so long as the demand remains high and criminal actors continue to consider IP crime as a low-risk, high-profit endeavour,” Europol writes.
