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ANP Productions | Source: ANP
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Customs seized 665 illegal shipments of drugs advertised on the internet for treating Covid-19. Most of the medicines consisted of ivermectin, a medicine that is mainly used for animals against mange and helminth infections. Customs also intercepted antibiotics and anti-malaria drugs.
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The intercepted medicines mainly came from India, Hong Kong and Singapore and were intended for private individuals. Importing medicines is only allowed with a permit.
The seized medicines were found during checks on consignments by post and by courier services. In total, 55,000 medicines were found in the 665 shipments, such as tablets, capsules, ointment and bottles.
Customs works closely with the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) to monitor illegal medicines. Chief Inspector of the IGJ, Roderick Runne, points out the risks of ordering medicines from rogue sellers. “These medicines can contain dangerous contaminants or the wrong dosage of the active ingredient. A doctor also has no insight into the risks of use, for example in combination with other medicines or side effects.”
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