Algiers: Dismantling of a criminal network specialized in counterfeiting medical products

The National Gendarmerie (GN) services in Algiers have dismantled a criminal network consisting of 3 individuals for fraud and counterfeiting of expired medical products and their commercialization to public hospital facilities in several wilayas of the country, according to a statement from the GN Command on Tuesday. “In the framework of the fight against various forms of crime and the protection of public health, the environmental protection brigade of the GN in Algiers, in coordination with the research section, dismantled a network specializing in fraud and counterfeiting of expired medical products through a company whose owners modify the validity date of medical products,” the same source emphasized. According to the statement, the operation was carried out “based on information that a company specializing in the manufacture of medical products in Zeralda is marketing counterfeit and expired products whose expiration date has passed to public hospital facilities in different wilayas of the country.” GN elements searched the company’s headquarters where quantities of expired medical products were found. Continuing the investigation, “the location of the secret warehouse that the company used to illegally store these supplies before commercializing them was determined and in coordination with representatives of the Ministries of Health and Commerce and the inspection under the Ministry of Pharmaceutical Industry, it was confirmed that all of these supplies are expired and harmful to human health and pose a danger to public health.” The operation led to “the arrest of 3 individuals involved, in addition to the seizure of more than 500,000 units of local and foreign medical supplies of different types,” the statement said. After completing all legal procedures, the individuals involved will be presented before the territorially competent judicial authorities, the same source concludes.