Press conference on September 25, 2013 with (from left to right) : Pr. François Chast, Bernard Leroy, Eric Przyswa and Wilfrid Rogé.
On September 25th, 2013, the IRACM presents the study report ” Counterfeit medicines and Organized crime “. A new study which reveals and alerts the public opinion on an increasing and still poorly known phenomenon: the organized crime and counterfeit medicines trafficking.
Press release Abstract Study report Study report online
Now lots of traffics are known, still active or condemned by the justice. This phenomenon becomes major and extremely disturbing because the life of patients is in danger if they take fake medicines.
Organized crime, transnational criminal networks but also « white-collar » opportunists, there are multiple forms of crime taken by counterfeit medicines trafficking and decrypted for the first time in a report published by the Institute of Research Against Counterfeit Medicines (IRACM).
Based on the analysis of case studies and renowned experts interviews, this first international study provides a detailed typology of criminal activities involved in this traffic these last years. It also offers a reflection on the new health and geopolitical issues related to the development of such trafficking and some possible solutions for a more effective prevention and repression.
« Counterfeit medicines, it is first, a “dark figure”» probably considerable. The effectiveness and credibility of the responses remain subject to the acquisition finally of a methodical and comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon, of all its aspects, its mechanisms and of the organized crime strategy who have chosen now, in many parts of the world, to make counterfeit medicines trafficking one of its main activities », says Bernard Leroy, Director of IRACM « In deciphering the phenomenon during a decade we can see that in the West dominates a new form of white-collar criminals often linked to the health sector. Another issue of concern: today every citizen can easily set up an illegal network thanks to the Internet but also with tools related to international trade.” says Eric Przyswa, Associated researcher at the research center for risks and crisis of Mines ParisTech.