We are very proud to announce the paper The Organised Theft of Medicines: A Study of the Methods for Stealing and Reselling Medicines and Medical Devices in the EU and Beyond” by Marco Dugato, Senior Researcher and Cosimo Sidoti, PhD., at Università Cattolica-Transcrime has been published in the European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research.
The article contains significant outcomes of the MEDI-THEFT project in relation to the research carried out aimed at identifying and analysing the main modus operandi of criminal organizations adopted to steal and re-sell pharmaceutical products. This is a notable success achieved by UCSC-TC as well as for the MEDI-THEFT Consortium.
First and foremost, we would like to congratulate Marco Dugato and Cosimo Sidoti, UCSC-TC, for this remarkable success and their commitment to the research. The publication demonstrated the importance of building synergies between academic and institutional organizations working together in combining research and operational perspectives in the fight against the illicit trafficking of medicines.
Here is an extract of the abstract of the publication:
“The theft of medicines is a significant component of the illicit trade in pharmaceutical products. Besides small-scale thefts committed for personal usage, organised criminal networks are increasingly targeting high-priced medical products, either to reintroduce them into the legal supply chain or sell them on the black market. This crime has considerable implications that extend beyond the value of the stolen goods, including harmful impacts on citizens’ health, legitimate companies, and national health systems. However, knowledge of organised theft of medicines remains limited. This paper employs a crime script analysis approach, based on interviews with relevant stakeholders and case studies retrieved across European countries, to examine the most common modi operandi in the organised theft of medicines and medical devices. Potential policy implications are also discussed”.
You can download and read the paper on the European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research here.