SYDNEY: The Australian Customs and Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) have ended a successful operation cracking down on medicines bought over the Internet.
More than 80 packages coming from overseas organised crime rings were stopped at mail and cargo centres, Customs reported in a statement on Tuesday.
Operation Pangea is a worldwide operation that takes place each year and targets crime networks behind the online trade of fake and illicit drugs annually, Customs said.
Coordinated by the World Customs Organization and Interpol, Operation Pangea VIII brought together customs, health regulators, national police and private sector agencies from over 100 countries.
Australian Customs and Border Control Deputy Commander Strategic Border Command, Erin Dale, warned consumers about the dangers of purchasing so-called medicines online.
“Consumers should still be cautious when purchasing therapeutic goods online,” she said.
“While it can be convenient, it can also be illegal and dangerous. There are many illicit online pharmacies that manufacture counterfeit and prohibited products in unregulated and unsanitary conditions.
“Purchasing such products puts the health of buyers, their children and their pets at risk.”
