Food and Pharmaceuticals
In recent surveys by the Department of Health, it reported that 10 in every 100 drugs in the country were counterfeits. Worldwide, the World Health Organization determined counterfeit drug presence to be at 7% to 10%. Drugs and medical supplies rank third in the list of the most commonly counterfeited. The production and distribution of counterfeit and substandard food and pharmaceutical products are the most dangerous and serious form of counterfeiting.
The pharmaceutical industry is finding it more and more difficult to fight the problem. This is due to the sophistication of illegal productions and distributions; it is highly organized and highly profitable with little if not negligible risks. The problem is anticipated to grow into US$75 billion market in a year, as traditional syndicates have begun shifting to this illegal trade. Let’s look at the returns:
| For a US$1,000.00 investment, here are the potential profits: | ||
| Illegal Activities | Profits (in US$) | Source of Study |
| Currency Counterfeiting | $3,300.00 | US Secret Service |
| Credit Card Cloning | $6,700.00 | Visa & MasterCard |
| Heroin/Narcotics | $20,000.00 | US-DEA |
| Fake Cigarettes | $43,000.00 | 2 leading manufacturers |
| Pirated Software | $100,000.00 | Microsoft |
| Counterfeit Drugs | $450,000.00 | 2kg./8,000 tablets IRESSA API |
Since 2003, IP2 Manila Associates have been providing investigative and enforcement supports to 3 of the top 5 pharmaceutical companies in the world. Our works go beyond seizing large volume of counterfeit drugs but also identification of the distribution networks and importing sources. The fight against fake drugs brings heightened passion to everyone in our organization toward working very diligently on individual cases. Â
