Fake Covid Vaccines Alert! Criminals May Sell Counterfeit Covid Shots, Warns Interpol - Know More

Under the orange alert, all police organisations across the world have been asked to ensure the safety of the supply chain” and told to that identifying illicit websites selling fake products will be essential

(Representative Image/ Getty)

New Delhi: After the United Kingdom became the first Western nation to grant authorization of a Covid-19 vaccine roll out next week, there are already warnings from Interpol on fake vaccination. The Interpol on Thursday warned law enforcement agencies across the globe that there could be attempts by organised criminal networks to advertise and sell fake Covid-19 vaccines physically and online. What’s the alert? As per the Orange notice issued to all 194 member countries, the Lyon-based international police cooperation body warned agencies to prepare for potential criminal activity in relation to “the falsification, theft and illegal advertising of Covid-19 and flu vaccines”, as per the PTI report. All police organisations across the world have been asked to ensure “the safety of the supply chain” and said “identifying illicit websites selling fake products will be essential”. “Criminal networks will also be targeting unsuspecting members of the public via fake websites and false cures, which could pose a significant risk to their health, even their lives,” Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock said. “It is essential that law enforcement is as prepared as possible for what will be an onslaught of all types of criminal activity linked to the COVID-19 vaccine, which is why INTERPOL has issued this global warning,” the official said. What’s the significance of Orange notice? The Orange notice is issued by the international security organisation to warn of an event, a person, an object or a process representing a serious and imminent threat to public safety. The CBI, which is the national central bureau for India, will be coordinating with the Interpol on this warning.