Operation SHIELD seized €32 million worth of fake medicines, including over 3 million pills, shut down 66 websites and led to nearly 500 arrests.

Omissions

• The claim's headline figure of EUR 32 million is confirmed, but the operation is specifically identified as Operation SHIELD VI, which ran from April to November 2025; the €32 million covers both fake medicines AND illicit doping substances, not medicines alone.
• The 'over 3 million pills' and 'nearly 500 arrests' figures could not be independently corroborated in the sources retrieved; Europol pages describe other editions of Operation SHIELD with different totals (e.g. 544 arrests and €63 million for a different edition), so the arrest count varies by edition and should be attributed carefully.
• The MEP's cited sources (Europol, OLAF) are the operators of the action; the figures should be presented as Europol/OLAF operational results for SHIELD VI rather than as an independently audited statistic.

Sources

• PrimaryEUIPO — EU Intellectual Property Office newsEUR 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 — Operation SHIELD pageLarge seizure of illegal drugs and drug manufacturing equipment. 544 arrests and €63 million of fake pharmaceuticals and illegal doping substances seized.
• Secondaryeucrim — The European Criminal Law Associations' ForumA total of 907 investigations were launched, 43 organised crime groups were investigated, and 66 websites were taken down.
• SecondaryHarakenzo — EUIPO-related newsOperation SHIELD VI, conducted from April to November 2025, involved ... 66 websites used to sell counterfeit medicines.