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Police in China and South Africa have seized thousands of doses of the counterfeit Covid-19 vaccine and made dozens of arrests, according to Interpol.
In China, police made 80 arrests at a factory allegedly manufacturing fake vaccines, where at least 3,000 doses were found.
Three Chinese nationals and a Zambian were detained in a warehouse in Gauteng, South Africa, where ampoules containing 2,400 doses were found.
It is not known exactly when the arrests took place.
The find in South Africa was reported by the country’s Sunday Times newspaper at the end of December.
In Wednesday’s statement, Interpol said it was also receiving reports of other fake vaccine networks.
Interpol, short for the International Criminal Police Organization, is based in Lyon, France, and facilitates international cooperation between police forces and the fight against crime.
The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed more than 2.5 million lives worldwide and infected nearly 115 million people, according to an estimate from Johns Hopkins University.
Announcing the dismantling of the network of suspected fake vaccines, Interpol stressed that no approved vaccine was “currently available for sale online”.
“Any vaccine advertised on websites or on the dark web will not be legitimate, will not have been tested and could be dangerous,” he said.
Vaccines are a vital tool in overcoming the pandemic and competition is fierce around the world to purchase available doses following the approval of a growing number of products by medical authorities in recent months.
What exactly did the police find out?
In Germiston, Gauteng, police found about 400 vials – the equivalent of about 2,400 doses – of fake vaccine as well as a “large quantity” of fake 3M masks, Interpol said.
He posted pictures of boxes and packages in the warehouse.
South Africa did not start vaccinating its population until February 17 after concerns about the effectiveness of vaccines against a new variant of Covid-19.
Vaccine deployment in Africa is accelerating
No location or additional details were given for the counterfeit factory in China which Interpol says has been investigated with the help of its Illicit Goods and Global Health program.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Public Security said police were carrying out a “targeted campaign to prevent and crack down on vaccine-related crimes” and would step up constructive cooperation with Interpol and police in other countries to effectively prevent such crimes. crimes.
How big is the problem with fake vaccines?
Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock said that while the police operations in China and South Africa were welcome, it was “just the tip of the iceberg” when it came to crime related to the Covid-19 vaccine.
In December, the organization issued a global alert alert to the police in its 194 member countries to prepare for organized crime networks targeting Covid-19 vaccines, and gave advice on how to detect fake products. medical.
China last month arrested the leader of a multi-million dollar scam that passed off saline and mineral water as Covid-19 vaccines.
Source: BBC
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