An operation led to the seizure of more than 3 million counterfeit pills.

Omissions

• The claim does not name the operation. The figure of 'over 3 million fake pills' comes from Operation SHIELD VI, led by Europol, so the MEP could only have cited a 2025 operation, not one contemporaneous with the October 2026 session.
• The 'over 3 million' figure refers to fake pills specifically; the operation's total haul also included nearly 300,000 packages of doping substances (including Semaglutide-based products) and fake medicines worth roughly EUR 32 million — the pills figure alone understates the overall seizure.
• Publication dates of the official sources could not be confirmed within the search budget; the data period (Operation SHIELD VI) precedes the 2026-10-05 session date, so the MEP could have known it.

Sources

• PrimaryEUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) — 'EUIPO supports major Europe-wide action against counterfeit medicines'The seized products included over 3 million fake pills and nearly 300 000 illegal packages of doping substances, including Semaglutide-based products marketed for weight loss. EUR 32 million worth of fake medicines and illicit doping substances have been seized across Europe in Operation SHIELD VI, a major operation led by Europol.
• PrimaryEuropol — '3 354 individuals prosecuted in Europol-coordinated hit against pharmaceutical crime networks'EUR 33 million worth of illicit medicines and doping substances seized in Operation SHIELD VI ... The operation focused on counterfeit and falsified medicines, the trafficking of anabolic-androgenic steroids and other doping substances.