International policing authority Interpol on Wednesday said South African authorities had seized hundreds of fake Covid-19 vaccines.
Interpol said about 400 ampoules — equivalent to around
2,400 doses — containing the fake vaccine were found at a warehouse in
Germiston, Gauteng. Officers also recovered a large quantity of fake 3M masks.
Three Chinese nationals and a Zambian national were
arrested. A SAPS spokesperson was not immediately available for comment, but
the Interpol statement quoted national police spokesperson Brig Vish Naidoo as
saying: “Since Covid-19 reached the shores of SA, the government has adopted an
integrated multidisciplinary law enforcement approach.
“This, together with our association with counterparts from
all Interpol member countries, is proving to be very effective as we have seen
in the arrests for foreign nationals attempting to peddle fake vaccines to unsuspecting
people within SA.”
Meanwhile, Interpol said in China police had identified a
network selling counterfeit Covid-19 vaccines and raided the manufacturing
premises, resulting in the arrest of 80 suspects and the seizing of more than
3,000 fake vaccines.
The investigation was supported and facilitated by
Interpol’s illicit goods and global health programme.
The arrests came just weeks after Interpol issued an Orange
Notice warning law enforcement to prepare for organised crime networks
targeting Covid-19 vaccines, both physically and online. The alert included
details and images of genuine vaccines and authorised shipping methods provided
by pharmaceutical companies to assist in the identification of fake vials.
“While we welcome this result, this is only the tip of the
iceberg when it comes to Covid-19 vaccine related crime,” said Interpol
secretary-general Jürgen Stock.
Stock said after Interpol's warning that criminals would
target the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, Interpol provided its support to
national authorities working to protect the health and safety of their
citizens.
Times
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