The majority of the world wants to be vaccinated, but we want to make sure the shots we receive are legit, right? According to a recent BBC article, international police are working to break up counterfeit COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers. The discovery of 3,000 fake doses led to the arrest of 80 people at a factory in China, and 2,400 ampoules were seized in South Africa along with fake 3M masks.
A spokesperson for the Chinese ministry of public security described a targeted campaign to combat vaccine-related crimes, but this seizure was just the tip of the iceberg. Last month, police uncovered a multi-million dollar scam where a man had recreated real vaccine packaging and made 58,000 fake doses filled with saline solution and mineral water. Six people were arrested in Mexico last month for trafficking fake vaccines and selling them for the equivalent of $2,000 a dose.
