International Counterfeit Medicine Network Dismantled; Warehouse Located in Bulgaria

Romania and European partner agencies have dismantled an international network for counterfeit medicines and food supplements, with the central storage facility located in Bulgaria. This was reported by the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), as cited by BTA.

According to the investigation, the damages from the scheme amount to hundreds of millions of euros.

Citizens of Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, and Poland participated in the criminal network. Since 2019, the group has sold products in several European Union countries presented as “natural supplements,” which, according to authorities, had no real therapeutic effect.

Investigators indicate that the preparations were advertised as treatments for serious conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, psoriasis, obesity, and prostate adenoma.

“Some of the victims stopped treatments prescribed by doctors,” DIICOT stated.

A case has been opened regarding an organized criminal group, fraud with particularly serious consequences, computer fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion.

Six people were detained in Romania, three in Poland, and ten in Moldova. According to the prosecution, the group operated through a hierarchical structure with four operational levels.

A network of virtual merchants was established for sales, using fake social media profiles and posing as doctors to persuade people to purchase the products.

The investigation found that when complaints accumulated, a given product was simply renamed and re-released on the market. According to prosecutors, the network sold over 400 different products.

During the operation in Romania, approximately 250,000 packages of tablets and bottles containing substances advertised as dietary supplements or alternatives to medicine were confiscated. The average selling price was approximately €35 per unit.

Additionally, 196 websites used for the advertising and sale of the products have been blocked.