GDBOP Shuts Down Four Fake Medicine Websites in International Operation

The General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (GDBOP) has shut down four websites selling counterfeit medicines as part of the international operation “Pangea XVIII”, caretaker Interior Minister Emil Dechev announced during a briefing at the Council of Ministers on May 7.

According to Dechev, the action formed part of a large-scale international police operation coordinated by Interpol and carried out with the support of law enforcement agencies from member states. He described it as a major success both for Interpol and for the Bulgarian services involved, including GDBOP and the Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs (SDVR).

Dechev congratulated the employees of the two structures for the excellent work and specified that the experts from the Cybercrime Directorate had participated in a large-scale online check of the Internet space.

The operation was conducted simultaneously in 90 countries between 10 and 23 March 2026. Joint actions disrupted around 5,700 websites, social media pages, channels and automated bots used to market and sell illegal medicines.

According to Interpol data, nearly 6.5 million doses of counterfeit or unverified medicines were seized, while the value of the confiscated pharmaceuticals exceeded 15.5 million US dollars. Nearly 270 people were arrested, and 66 criminal groups involved in the production and distribution of substandard medical products were dismantled.

Among the most serious cases highlighted by the minister was the discovery of an illegal pharmaceutical factory in Bulgaria, where millions of tablets, ampoules and injectable products were found and seized.

Responding to a journalist’s question, Dechev confirmed that an interdepartmental commission responsible for decisions regarding state protection for certain individuals had met last week.

“The Ministry of the Interior has shown over these two and a half months that it can work boldly, without fear, in full accordance with the law, uncompromisingly and without double standards,” he said.

Commenting on the legacy he would leave to the next Minister of Interior, Dechev stated that, despite the short period in office, the caretaker government had dealt with complex and difficult tasks and achieved significant results. He stressed that the objectives of a caretaker administration could not be compared with those of a regular government backed by a parliamentary majority and a four-year mandate, but added that his team had nevertheless worked effectively and delivered clear results.