Police in South Africa seized hundreds of fake COVID-19 vaccines and made several arrests following a global alert issued by INTERPOL.
Police in South Africa and China have seized thousands of doses of counterfeit COVID-19 vaccine and made dozens of arrests, International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) stated on Wednesday.
Three Chinese nationals and a Zambian were detained at a warehouse in Gauteng, South Africa, where ampoules containing 2,400 doses were discovered.
In China, police made 80 arrests at a factory allegedly making the fake vaccine, where at least 3,000 doses were found.
The arrests came just weeks after INTERPOL issued an Orange Notice warning law enforcement to prepare for organized crime networks targeting COVID-19 vaccines, both physically and online.
The alert also included details and images of genuine vaccines and authorized shipping methods provided by pharmaceutical companies to assist in the identification of fake vials.