Cyprus was among 15 countries that cooperated on 12 May to dismantle a dangerous criminal network responsible for defrauding victims across Europe and beyond with fake supplements and medicines, according to a Eurojust press release issued on Thursday.
The group allegedly claimed to sell legitimate medicines capable of curing serious illnesses, while its illegal activities generated €240 million in illicit transactions, Eurojust said. A coordinated day of action led to the collection of significant evidence, the detention of several key members of the group and the seizure of large quantities of supplements.
“Eurojust and Europol supported the investigations from the outset, ensuring effective and efficient cooperation between the 15 countries,” the statement noted.
Cyprus participated through the Office of the Attorney General and the Cyprus Police, it added.
The network is reported to have established companies since 2019, through which it marketed supplements that were not authorised for sale, offering more than 400 products under different names.
A network of fictitious sellers created hundreds of websites and social media pages, often using the names and images of celebrities and fake doctors to mislead victims across the European Union and beyond. The group also trained its associates to create fake social media accounts, present them as legitimate and avoid detection by platform operators.
According to Eurojust, call centre operators posing as doctors or medical experts claimed that the supplements were effective treatments for incurable or serious illnesses.
“By misleading victims with these fake medicines, the criminal group caused serious harm,” Eurojust said, adding that investigations showed victims stopped taking prescribed treatments from their doctors. When complaints about a product became excessive, “it was simply renamed and reintroduced.”
Following complaints from victims, Romanian authorities launched an investigation and uncovered a large international network operating across Europe. The group relied on legitimate companies across Europe to carry out its activities.
“International judicial cooperation was essential for gathering evidence and testimony and taking action against identified members of the group and its call centres,” Eurojust said.
A coordinated action day on 12 May was organised to gather evidence and question witnesses, with operations carried out simultaneously in 15 countries under Eurojust coordination.
Authorities searched 113 locations in Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Moldova. Evidence was requested from companies in eight countries and 23 witnesses have so far been interviewed. In Romania, 196 websites promoting and selling the products were blocked.
In Bulgaria, the central warehouse of the criminal network was identified, where large quantities of supplements were seized and will be further analysed.
“The joint investigation team managed to identify the majority of the suspects and arrested several key members in Poland, Romania and Moldova,” the statement said. Investigations will continue, with further evidence to be collected and additional witnesses and suspects to be examined.
Source: CNA
