Geneva: Historic seizure of 700 kg of counterfeit medicines

On the occasion of its 2009 assessment, Customs officials have revealed the largest seizure of counterfeit medicines in Switzerland. had taken place last June in Geneva. 700 kg of counterfeit pharmaceutical products were seized., containing 11,000 boxes intended to treat cases of schizophrenia and 6,000 packets of medication against thrombosis. This represents 3.5 million francs, at the price of real medicines.

THE Border guards from French-speaking Switzerland discovered the fakes almost by chance., During a routine inspection at a warehouse storing uncleared goods, several batches caught their attention: one had been shipped from Singapore, another from Mauritius via Lebanon. They then discovered that the package inserts, which listed contraindications and dosages, contained numerous spelling errors. Furthermore, the expiration date of the pills was March 2009. Finally, the serial numbers on the boxes matched those of a batch already seized by another European customs authority.

Analysis revealed that one batch contained no active ingredient, while the second was underdosed. In both cases, These counterfeit medications posed a life-threatening danger to patients.

As the investigation continues, customs officials declined to provide further details. It is unknown whether any arrests have been made. It is known that other boxes have been discovered in Europe.