Counterfeit medicines worth hundreds of millions of euros: Europol conducts large-scale operation
20 May 07:54
Europol, with the support of Eurojust and law enforcement agencies from several countries, carried out a large-scale operation against an international criminal network involved in the production, advertising, distribution, and sale of counterfeit medicines and dietary supplements. According to the investigation, the group’s illegal operations amounted to at least €240 million. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing Europol’s press service.
The operation took place in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Moldova, and was supported by court orders in 10 additional countries. A Joint Investigation Team was established with Eurojust’s support to coordinate the investigation.
How the criminal network operated
According to Europol, the organization had been operating for nearly 20 years. It included citizens of Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Estonia, Poland, and Ukraine. The total volume of illegal transactions is estimated at least €240 million, of which approximately €70 million occurred in 2021 alone.
The criminals exploited the vulnerability of people seeking treatment for serious illnesses—including diabetes, cancer, psoriasis, and obesity.
The products were marketed as supposedly effective remedies, even though they lacked proper authorization, verified clinical data, and quality control.
A “Legal Facade” for an Illegal Business
The organizers created a network of companies that appeared to be legitimate sellers of dietary supplements. They had offices, bank accounts, and digital infrastructure in several countries.
Profits from the sale of counterfeit products were funneled through these companies.
Individual participants were responsible for administration, call centers, website technical support, advertising, and training new network members.
Fake doctors, deepfakes, and pseudo-medical advertising
Law enforcement paid particular attention to digital manipulation methods. To promote products, they used fake recommendations purportedly from doctors, pseudo-news, aggressive advertising, and deepfake content.
These tools created the illusion among consumers that the products were legal, safe, and effective.
Users were often redirected from well-known websites to pages with manipulative ads. After submitting an application, call center operators would finalize the sale over the phone.
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Searches, Arrests, and Seized Assets
The main phase of the operation took place on May 12, 2026. Law enforcement conducted 138 searches in Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Moldova.
As a result of the operation:
- at least 9 people were detained;
- dozens of electronic devices were seized;
- cash and counterfeit supplements were seized;
- real estate and other assets were seized;
- the total value of the seized items amounts to at least €17.7 million.
In Bulgaria, law enforcement officials uncovered the group’s central warehouse. There, they seized tens of thousands of packages containing over 300 types of illegally manufactured dietary supplements, production equipment, production lines, and documentation.
In Romania, nearly 200 websites were blocked
In Romania, 196 websites used to advertise and sell the products were blocked. During searches in Romania and Hungary, large batches of supplements were seized and are to undergo further examination.
In Poland, law enforcement officials froze assets worth approximately €1.8 million.
Why this is dangerous for patients
According to law enforcement officials, the products sold by the network were not officially registered and lacked verified data on safety and efficacy. The composition of these products and the conditions under which they were manufactured remain unknown.
The greatest danger lies in the fact that people with serious illnesses might have refused or postponed treatment prescribed by a doctor because they believed in pseudo-medical promises. Eurojust explicitly states that such a scheme could have caused serious harm to the victims.
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