Operation “SHIELD V”: Thousands of medicines and doping substances seized for a value of over 2 million euros, 23 arrests and 138 reports

The Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Health (NAS) and the Customs and Monopolies Agency have concluded “SHIELD V”, an acronym for Safe Health Implementation, Enforcement and Legal Development, a vast international operation aimed at combating pharmaceutical crime and protecting health.

The operation was carried out from April to November 2024 under the direction of EUROPOL and with the participation of 30 European Union and non-EU member states, as well as several international organisations. such as the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), re-proposing the organizational scheme of coordination, cooperation and information exchange between the member States positively tested in previous editions.

The joint action comprehensively addressed the phenomenon of so-called pharma crime, understood as counterfeiting, diversion from the legal supply chain, theft and illicit trafficking, through the implementation of targeted actions on doping, medicines and active pharmacological ingredients.

Also this year, the Carabinieri Health Protection Command, the only national police force that represented Italy in “SHIELD V”, was entrusted with the delicate role of co-leader of EUROPOL, a position of primary responsibility that allowed participation in the decision-making process by taking a place in the “control room” (also composed of the French National Gendarmerie, the Greek Police and the Spanish Civil Guard) that planned the activities, as well as directed and coordinated the participating countries in the various sectors of intervention. The implementation of the Operation was able to benefit from the contribution of the territorial branches of the Customs and Monopolies Agency as well as the investigative tools provided by Europol with particular reference to the ability to carry out analysis activities and the possibility of developing information exchanges with the participating countries. The operational occasion was profitable to promote and confirm the institutional cooperation relationships between the Carabinieri Health Protection Command and the Customs and Monopolies Agency.

It should be noted, in particular, that the joint action with this Agency has led to the seizure of approximately 125.000 units of drugs, including doping drugs, at the major postal and courier sorting hubs on Italian territoryThe results achieved by the various branches of the Health Protection Departments on the national territory have been substantiated in the967 inspection and control activities were carried out, with the opening of 11 investigative activities, for a total of 138 individuals reported to the Judicial Authority and 23 arrests; 1 clandestine laboratory was discovered and 2 criminal groups were dismantled.

Huge seizures of medicines and doping substances of various types, supplements as well as medical devices and products of various kinds: over 8.800 packages and approximately 95.000 dosage units of drugs in various pharmaceutical forms (tablets, vials, injectables, powders), containing active ingredients of various therapeutic indications, mainly attributable to anabolics, slimming, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and drugs for erectile dysfunction. The commercial value of all the seizures reaches the figure of over 2,6 million euros.

A peculiar area of ​​investigation concerns the fight against the phenomenon of doping both in the field of amateur and professional sports activities. The anti-doping investigative inspectors, present in all the NAS located throughout the national territory and specifically trained for the specific activity, have 47 anti-doping tests were carried out, both “in” (40) and “out” (7) competition, which allowed 161 athletes to be tested, 4 of whom tested positive. The activity took advantage of the consolidated collaboration of NADO ITALIA, in light of the agreement signed with the Carabinieri Command for Health Protection.

The following also proved to be significant:blackout of 286 websites selling illegal counterfeit drugs, through administrative measures of the Ministry of Health aimed at protecting public health by preventing access to dangerous sites.

Overall, Operation “SHIELD V”, conducted in the territories of the various participating countries, allowed the identification of 4 clandestine laboratories and investigations into 52 criminal organizations; seized thousands of medicines, raw materials and doping products of various kinds, for a total of over 4.800.000 million units, in various pharmaceutical forms, with quantities equal to 108 liters and more than 400.000 kg and a commercial value of 11,1 million euros; reported 418 individuals to the competent judicial authorities. The anti-doping activity, on the other hand, resulted in approximately 4.000 controls on athletes, between “in” and “out” competition.

Previous 1 di 6 The next