The World Customs Organization (WCO) announced on Tuesday (08.12.2021) the largest operation to combat illicit trafficking of medicines, vaccines and medical devices related to COVID-19 in 2021.
Named "“STOP II”, the operation took place from April 30 to September 30, with the Participation of 146 customs administrations, plus the support of the WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices (RILOs) and the support of several international organisations, namely: Europol, INTERPOL, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) together with pharmaceutical companies and other private sector actors.
Key data
During the period mentioned, the WCO reported the following data of “STOP II"
- 83 members reported irregularities
- 2.360 cases of illegal trade
- 3.434 Recorded seizures
- 365,7 million units seized, of which:
- 195,5 millions were COVID-19 related drugs (ivermectin, doxycycline, pregabalin, etc.)
- 156,7 millions were medical devices (COVID-19 test kits, masks, used gloves, disinfectant gel, oxygen cylinders, etc.) and
- 13,5 millions were doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
The Secretary General of the WCO, Kunio Mikuriya, highlighted the success of the operation and reaffirmed “the important role that customs plays in protecting society and facilitating legitimate trade in COVID-19 vaccines throughout the country.”
The operation highlighted the importance of “inter-institutional collaboration to effectively combat criminal organizations,” added OLAF Director General Ville Itälä.
Given the importance of securing the supply chain, financial support from Japan was made available to carry out “STOP II" , said Sakata, Director General of the Customs and Tariff Bureau of the Ministry of Finance of Japan.
Looking ahead, the need to enhance cooperation between Customs administrations with the support of the WCO Secretariat was stressed, according to Mr. Guénolé Mbongo Koumou, WCO Vice President for West and Central Africa.
According to the information, the operation “STOP II” used a secure communication tool (IPR CENcomm Group) for the data exchange on counterfeit supplies and medicines among authorized members. A survey was also conducted analysis of data which identified trends such as a sharp increase in seizures of small shipments of anti-infective drugs for e-commerce in the European region.WCO Press Release)
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