During the recently held 'Operation Silver Ax III', Europol and the European Anti-Fraud Office seized 360 tonnes of illegal or counterfeit crop protection products. The operation lasted 20 days and took place in major ports, airports and at border posts of the 27 participating countries. Since the start of the annual operation in 2015, the number of seized products has increased every year.
Crop protection products are one of the most regulated products in the world. The products can only be traded and used if they are found to be safe and are authorized by the European Union. Because there is a lot of money involved in the sector, it is an attractive market to operate in illegally and to bring counterfeit products onto the market. Wil van Gemert of Europol therefore emphasizes the importance of international co-operation: "The complexity and scale of this fraud makes it clear that co-operation across borders and institutions is necessary."
14% illegal or counterfeit
Graeme Taylor of the European Crop Protection Association estimates that 14% of the crop protection product market consists of illegal or counterfeit products. "This is not only a problem for companies whose products are being copied, but it also poses a major health and environmental risk. So we are very pleased with the continued success of this operation."
Source: Europol