Operation Pangea III cracks down on illegal online drugs

Forty-five countries took part in Operation Pangea III this month, which resulted in 76 people either being arrested or placed under investigation. In total 290 online pharmacies selling fake and illegal drugs were shut down.

Customs officials have seized illicit and counterfeit drugs worth an estimated ￡1.62m (US$2.6m) in an international operation targeting the online sale of medicines.
Regulators and customs inspected more than 267,855 packages across the globe resulting in the seizure of 1,014,043 illicit and counterfeit medicines for erectile dysfunction, weight loss and pain relief, in addition to human growth hormone, anti-depressants and steroids.

Forty-five countries took part in Operation Pangea III this month, which resulted in 76 people either being arrested or placed under investigation. In total 290 online pharmacies selling fake and illegal drugs were shut down.

The operation involved IMPACT, the World Customs Organisation (WCO), the Permanent Forum of International Pharmaceutical Crime (PFIPC), the Heads of Medicines Agencies Working Group of Enforcement Officers (HMA WGEO).

Co-ordinated by Interpol and carried out with the assistance of police, customs and n