Counterfeit medicine trade: how online pharmacies are selling deadly fake painkillers across Europe
- By Euronews Published on 29/09/2026 - 15:00 GMT+2 EU authorities seized over €33 million in counterfeit medicines in 2025 alone.
- In the Netherlands, fake oxycodone pills have been found containing nitazenes, synthetic opioids up to 500 times stronger than morphine, causing fatal respiratory failure within minutes.
- Experts blame the explosion of online marketplaces and small parcel shipments, which have made illicit goods nearly impossible to intercept.
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- By Euronews Published on 29/09/2026 - 15:00 GMT+2 EU authorities seized over €33 million in counterfeit medicines in 2025 alone.
- In the Netherlands, fake oxycodone pills have been found containing nitazenes, synthetic opioids up to 500 times stronger than morphine, causing fatal respiratory failure within minutes.
- Experts blame the explosion of online marketplaces and small parcel shipments, which have made illicit goods nearly impossible to intercept.
Sources: Euronews