International Partners Join Forces to Disrupt Pharmaceutical Trafficking in Operation African Star
Vienna, 14 August 2024 - The first subregional special operation targeting shipments of falsified, substandard and other illicitly manufactured pharmaceuticals was successfully coordinated from 9 - 15 June in East Africa. Led by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) of Kenya and the National Drug Authority (NDA) of Uganda, with support from the International Narcotics Control Board's (INCB) GRIDS Programme, the international operation synchronized actions by over 20 law enforcement and regulatory agencies and international partners to detect, deny and disrupt the illicit trade in pharmaceutical preparations, health products and equipment transported by postal and air cargo services. Consignments involving 92 unauthorized, falsified, substandard or illicitly manufactured pharmaceuticals totalling over 115,000 units and 1.15 kg were seized during the four-day operation, codenamed "African Star".
The operation brought together for the first time numerous law enforcement and regulatory agencies from Kenya and Uganda. Participating agencies from Kenya included the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, the Kenya Revenue Authority, the Immigration Services, Anti-Narcotics Unit, National Intelligence Services, Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Kenya Airports Authority, the Postmaster General, Communication Authority of Kenya and the Anti-Counterfeit Authority. Participating agencies from Uganda included the National Drug Authority, the Uganda Revenue Authority, Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, and the specialized units of the Uganda Police Force and Anti-Narcotics Unit.
Photo: Suspicious air consignment involving pharmaceuticals selected for intervention in Kampala
Eleven national and international partners supported Operation African Star, including the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, United States Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General, United States Customs and Border Protection, United States Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, United States Postal Inspection Service and the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office. Regional and international entities assisted in the operation including the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); the Pharmaceutical Security Institute; and from the United Nations system, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and INCB Secretariat.
The INCB Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme provided interdiction training, personal protective equipment, drug testing kits and access to the IONICS system for secure case communications. The GRIDS Strategic and Operational Intelligence platforms and the SNOOP (beta) open-source intelligence tools facitilated pre-operational targeting and risk assessments. Communications via IONICS were coordinated by the GRIDS Cyber Communications Centres (GC3) in Vienna, while GRIDS Regional Technical Officers (RTO) and experts provided support on the ground in Nairobi and Kampala throughout the operation.
Photo: Express mail shipment involving pharmaceuticals seized in Nairobi
Operation African Star was conducted under the Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme's Project ION and OPIOIDS Project. The GRIDS Programme links capacity building, state-of-the-art targeting platforms, and intelligence sharing through strategic partnerships, supporting Member States in countering falsified, substandard, illicitly manufactured pharmaceuticals and emerging dangerous synthetic drug trafficking with a view to protecting the health and wellbeing of communities.
The International Narcotics Control Board is a treaty mandated independent United Nations body responsible for promoting and monitoring compliance with the three international drug control conventions. It cooperates with governments and international organizations to prevent non-medical drug use, illicit manufacture and trafficking while ensuring the availability of controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes.