Transnational medicine mafias are exploiting the differences between the economic and healthcare models of socialist Venezuela and its free market neighbour Colombia to run a thriving trade in contraband pharmaceuticals.
Every year, networks of smugglers, corrupt officials and shady businessmen move millions of dollars’ worth of contraband, expired and fake drugs between the two countries, undermining the legal pharmaceutical sector and posing a grave health threat on both sides of the border. ‘Nearly every day we seize medicines – it is an attack against life,’ said Lt Colonel Rodolfo Carrero, Head of Colombia’s customs and tax police (Policía Fiscal y Aduanera – POLFA) in the smuggling hotspot of Cúcuta. ‘These criminals are playing with the lives of human beings.’
In 2014, the POLFA seized more than 770,000 units of contraband medicines, worth more than US$1.5m – 24% of which were discovered in the Venezuela border region. But police believe this is just a fraction of what makes it through.
Not yet a Subscriber?
This is a small extract of the full article which is available ONLY to premium content subscribers. Click below to get premium content on Manufacturing Chemist.
Subscribe now Already a subscriber? Sign in here.