PARIS, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Criminals are taking advantage of the high market demand for medical products amid coronavirus outbreaks, warned Interpol in a press release Thursday.
The warning came after an Interpol-coordinated operation seized more than 34,000 counterfeit and substandard masks, "corona spray," "coronavirus packages," or "coronavirus medicine."
The seizure in the "Operation Pangea XIII " from March 3 to 10 -- worth 14 million U.S. dollars -- reveals only the tip of the iceberg regarding the new trend in counterfeiting, said Interpol.
"Once again, Operation Pangea shows that criminals will stop at nothing to make a profit," said Jurgen Stock, Interpol's Secretary-General.
"The illicit trade in such counterfeit medical items during a public health crisis shows their total disregard for people's wellbeing or their lives," he said.
Police, customs, and health regulatory authorities from 90 countries took part in the collective action against illicit online sale of medicines and medical products. The operation resulted in 121 arrests worldwide.
