Operation Silver Axe VIII, Europol’s annual operation targeting fake or illegal pesticides, took place between 23 January and 28 April 2023 and involved law enforcement authorities from 32 countries.
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The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), CropLife Europe and CropLife International supported the operation.
In total, law enforcement seized 2 040 tonnes of fake or illegal pesticides, arrested 21 suspects and dismantled several production facilities used to counterfeit pesticides.
During the operation, law enforcement authorities identified criminal trends in plant protection products emerging on the EU black market. These trends include the sale of counterfeits, banned products and unregulated imports – both online and offline.
The participating authorities carried out inspections at land and sea borders, inland marketplaces, parcel service providers and online marketplaces.
Cases of abuse in the trade of illegal pesticides range from trafficking counterfeit or mislabelled products to the irregular import of banned substances.
While Asia and South Asia remain the primary source regions for illegal pesticides, much of the production and finishing takes place in the EU.
The pesticide industry is highly regulated, and pesticides are among the most regulated products in the world. Unregulated substances can be extremely dangerous for the environment and human health.
The use of cheaper, illegal and substandard products has led to the devastation of fields and other ecosystems, such as bee populations.
Furthermore, counterfeit and illegal pesticides negatively impact the EU economy and the reputation of legitimate stakeholders across the entire agri-food chain.
Operation Silver Axe was initially developed to respond in a coordinated way to the dangerous trafficking of illegal pesticides. To date, the efforts of the public and private sectors have led to the seizure of 6 961 tonnes of illegal pesticides during the past eight Silver Axe operations.
Europol coordinated the operation, facilitated the information exchange, and provided operational and strategic analytical support. Furthermore, Europol specialists with a mobile office and forensic experts provided support to national law enforcement agencies.
Participating EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
Participating non-EU countries: Australia, Brazil, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America.
Participating EU bodies: Europol, European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE).
Participating private industry partners: CropLife Europe, CropLife International. ■