SINGAPORE – An INTERPOL-coordinated operation across 90 countries has resulted in the seizure of 50.4 million doses of illicit pharmaceuticals worth USD 65 million, highlighting the alarming scale of the global trade in unapproved and counterfeit medicines.
Operation Pangea XVII, which took place from December 2024 to May 2025, saw the arrest of 769 suspects and the dismantling of 123 criminal groups worldwide. The seizures and arrests are the largest in the operation’s 17-year history.
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, the second highest.
