Operation reveals growing demand for semaglutides and peptides as ‘lifestyle enhancers’
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.
Other commonly seized product types include anabolic steroids, anti-diabetic medicines, anti-smoking products, dermatological agents, health supplements, herbal products and psychotherapeutic agents.
David Caunter, Director pro tempore of Organized and Emerging Crime at INTERPOL, said:
“Fake and unapproved medications are a serious risk to public health. 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.”
Ethiopian authorities discovered illicit pharmaceuticals hidden inside a container.
Seizures of anti-diabetic medication in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
Customs inspection at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia.
Inspection at a warehouse in Malaysia.
Illicit pharmaceuticals seized in Türkiye.
Illicit pharmaceuticals seized in Malaysia.
Growing demand for anti-diabetic medications and peptide supplements
The operation revealed growing demand for anti-diabetic drugs and peptide supplements, driven by increasing self-medication, among other factors.
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.
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.
Estimates suggest that a single semaglutide pen may sell for several hundred US dollars on the secondary market.
The seizures corroborate recent alerts from the World Health Organization and various national health regulatory agencies warning of emerging risks associated with GLP-1-related injectable drugs.
Operation Pangea XVII revealed another emerging trend – growing demand for peptide supplements for their perceived cosmetic and performance-enhancing benefits, especially in high-income countries across Europe, North America and Oceania.
These supplements, such as BPC-157, ipamorelin, and melanotan, remain unapproved in many regions due to potential health risks and the lack of sufficient human trials, and until recently, seizures of such peptide-based biologically active substances were rare.
Ethiopian authorities discovered illicit pharmaceuticals hidden inside a container.
Illicit pharmaceuticals seized in Argentina.
Unapproved pregabalin medicines seized in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
Suspected counterfeit tramadol and other medicines seized in Gabon.
Illicit pharmaceuticals found in a clandestine clinic in Mozambique.
Illicit erectile dysfunction medicines seized in Bulgaria.
Operational highlights
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.
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 nationally. This was followed by anti-smoking pouches and erectile dysfunction medicines.
Professor Tony Lawler, Head of Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said:
“During this operation, the TGA assessed over 9,500 imports referred by the Australian Border Force and facilitated the seizure of over 5.2 million units of unlawfully imported therapeutic goods, including products that were found to be substandard or falsified.
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 United Kingdom and the United States, among other countries.
Operation Pangea XVII 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 greatest number of online listings (7,000), followed by Russia, Ireland, Singapore and Iran. The five countries collectively accounted for 96 per cent of all listings taken down.
In Burkina Faso, 816,000 tablets including analgesics and anti-inflammatories were discovered hidden in vehicles.
In Mexico, 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.
Notes to Editor
Operation Pangea is an annual INTERPOL operation targeting the online sale of illicit pharmaceuticals. The 17th edition of the operation marked a departure from previous iterations with enforcement action taking place over six months instead of the traditional one week. This extended duration allowed for a more comprehensive and sustained effort to disrupt criminal networks.
Additional support was provided by national health regulatory agencies, Europol, the International Narcotics Control Board, the Pharmaceutical Security Institute, the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Universal Postal Union, the World Customs Organization and the World Health Organization.
The following countries participated in Operation Pangea XVII: Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Democratic Rep. of Congo, Denmark, Dominican Rep., Ecuador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Greece, Guyana, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Jamaica, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom), Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Rep San Marino, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, St Lucia, Sweden, Thailand, Togo, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.
