Interpol Seized Thousand Doses Of Counterfeit COVID-19 Vaccine In South Africa

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JAKARTA - South African police have seized hundreds of fake COVID-19 vaccines and arrested four suspects in connection with the seizure, said global police coordination agency Interpol.

Those arrested were 3 Chinese nationals and 1 Zambian national.

The seizures and arrests came after Interpol, which is headquartered in France, issued a global warning last December for law enforcement in its 194 member countries.

Interpol is warning countries to be prepared for organized crime networks that offer fake COVID-19 vaccines, both in person and online.

About 400 ampoules - the equivalent of about 2,400 doses - of the fake vaccine were found in a warehouse in Germiston, which is east of Johannesburg, South Africa. In there officers also found a large number of fake 3M masks, Interpol said on its website on Wednesday, March 3.

Meanwhile, in China, police identified a network selling a fake COVID-19 vaccine and raided the site of its manufacture, resulting in the arrest of around 80 suspects. More than 3,000 fake vaccines were seized at the scene, Interpol said.

"While we welcome these results, this is only the tip of the iceberg (surface of the problem) in terms of crimes related to the COVID-19 vaccine," said Interpol Secretary General Juergen Stock.

However, it remains unclear so far whether the incidents of arrests in South Africa and China are related to each other. Interpol did not immediately respond to questions, while a spokesman for the South African national police could not be reached for comment.

Interpol said investigations were continuing and also received additional reports about the distribution of counterfeit vaccines and fraudulent attempts targeting health institutions, such as nursing homes.