Cyprus joins international operation against fake medicine fraud network

Cyprus has become one of 15 countries participating in a large-scale international operation against a criminal network involved in the sale of counterfeit medicines and dietary supplements. The operation took place on May 12, coordinated by Eurojust and Europol.

As reported in a Eurojust press release, the criminal group earned approximately 240 million euros by distributing drugs over the internet that were passed off as effective treatments for serious and incurable diseases.

Cyprus participated in the investigation through the Attorney General's Office and the Cyprus Police. During joint actions, law enforcement officers gathered evidence, detained several key suspects, and seized large quantities of products.

According to the investigation, since 2019, the criminal network has created dozens of companies and sold over 400 types of unlicensed supplements under various names. To promote the products, fraudsters used hundreds of websites and social media accounts, often posting photos of famous people and fictional doctors.

Call centers played a special role, with employees posing as medical specialists and persuading people to abandon prescribed treatments in favor of 'miracle' drugs. According to Eurojust, some victims stopped taking real medications, leading to serious health consequences.

As part of the operation, searches were carried out at 113 locations in Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Moldova. In Romania, 196 websites selling fake drugs were blocked, and a central warehouse of the group was discovered in Bulgaria.

The investigation is ongoing. European law enforcement agencies intend to identify all members of the network and uncover additional episodes of fraud.