Bahrain alongside Kuwait and Qatar played a key role in a high-profile Interpol-co-ordinated operation that resulted in the seizure of 50.4 million doses of illicit pharmaceuticals worth $65m.
Operation Pangea XVII spanned across 90 countries and saw the arrest of 769 suspects and the dismantling of 123 criminal groups worldwide.
The 17th edition of the operation conducted from December last year until May this year targeted the online sale of illicit pharmaceuticals, and according to Lyon-based Interpol, led to the largest number of seizures and arrests since the inception of the operations.
Nervous system agents, including psychostimulants, anti-anxiety drugs and medications for Parkinson’s disease, topped the list as the most seized product type, with erectile dysfunction medicines being the second highest.
Other commonly seized product types include anabolic steroids, anti-diabetic medicines, anti-smoking products, dermatological agents, health supplements, herbal products and psychotherapeutic agents.
Interpol mentioned Bahrain among the list of ‘countries that participated in Operation Pangea XVII.’
“The operation revealed growing demand for anti-diabetic drugs and peptide supplements, driven by increasing self-medication, among other factors,” said an Interpol statement.
“This trend is being driven by the widespread promotion and availability of these medicines across social media and online marketplaces, creating lucrative and relatively low-risk opportunities for criminal networks selling low-quality or counterfeit products,” the statement added.
“Data from participating countries indicate increasing circulation of illicit anti-diabetic medicines globally due to their off-label weight loss effects, with unapproved and potentially fake drugs seized in the Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America.”
The seizures corroborate recent alerts from the World Health Organisation and various national health regulatory agencies, warning of emerging risks associated with Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) related injectable drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes.
In total, law enforcement agencies worldwide launched 1,728 investigations and issued 847 search warrants targeting criminal networks engaged in the illicit distribution of pharmaceutical products between December 2024 and May this year.
A total of 93 per cent of the illicit pharmaceuticals seized lacked regulatory approvals from national health authorities. Such products may contain counterfeit, substandard or falsified substances which have not been identified. The remaining seven per cent were confirmed as either counterfeit, diverted, or misbranded products.
Australia recorded the largest seizures globally, with psychostimulants such as modafinil and armodafinil being the most common category seized. This was followed by anti-smoking pouches and erectile dysfunction medicines.
“During this operation, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) assessed over 9,500 imports referred by the Australian Border Force and facilitated the seizure of more than 5.2m units of unlawfully imported therapeutic goods, including products that were found to be substandard or falsified,” said Australia’s TGA head Professor Tony Lawler.
“This operational partnership represents a significant disruption of dangerous medicines from entering our community, and diversion of profits from those that would usually benefit from the illegal sale and supply.
“Large seizures of various illicit pharmaceuticals were similarly reported in Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US, among other countries.”
The operation 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.
Malaysia removed the largest number of online listings (7,000), followed by Russia, Ireland, Singapore and Iran.
The five countries collectively accounted for 96pc of all listings taken down, according to the agency.
In Burkina Faso, 816,000 tablets including analgesics and anti-inflammatories were found hidden in vehicles, while Mexican authorities intercepted 27,000 clonazepam tablets and 20,000 alprazolam tablets passing through a courier facility in Tijuana.
In Portugal, anabolic steroids were discovered in eight prisons across the country, unveiling evidence of a criminal network smuggling illicit substances into correctional facilities.
“Fake and unapproved medications are a serious risk to public health,” said Interpol’s Organised and Emerging Crime director pro tempore David Caunter.
“They can include dangerous or illegal ingredients potentially resulting in severe illness, or even death.
“The rapid growth of online platforms has made it easier for these unsafe drugs to reach people as well as opening new opportunities for criminal networks to exploit.
“Working together through Operation Pangea, countries are taking action to protect people’s health and keep healthcare systems safe.”
Interpol has 196 member countries, making it the world’s largest police organisation.
Each country hosts an Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB), which links national police with the agency’s global network.
Interpol president Major General Ahmed Naser Al Raisi, from the UAE, met Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa last year and praised Bahrain’s NCB for its active engagement in many joint security operations in co-operation with other police authorities to tackle crimes.
The minister last September said Bahrain’s NCB exchanged around 4,000 pieces of information with Interpol member states and the Council of Arab Interior Ministers, resulting in the arrest of 12 internationally wanted individuals and the extradition of 14 fugitives.
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