PHNOM PENH (Bernama): South-East Asian health regulators are on a massive campaign to clamp down on the rise of counterfeit cosmetics and pharmaceutical drugs that are endangering consumers’ health and infringing on intellectual property rights.
Drug inspectors, from the Indochina region to Indonesia, are intensifying efforts to curb the circulation of counterfeit medicines and beauty care products that are easily entering their markets.
The growing threat poses risks to regional security and concerns authorities, as consumer fraud compromises public health.
At the Interpol Asian Regional Conference in Singapore, from Sept 18 to 19, the agency pledged to bolster regional security by tackling various organised crimes, including illicit goods.
Fake products, including skin whitening creams, substandard pharmaceuticals, and dietary supplements, can now be easily found on online shopping platforms that often evade scrutiny by officials.
According to media reports, chin silicone implants, nose silicone, and unregistered medicines were seized in an operation in Bangkok.
In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnamese authorities unearthed 260,000 fake products worth RM2.5 billion (US$600,000) from early 2024 to mid-2025.
While in neighbouring Laos, authorities destroyed expired, counterfeit, and substandard cosmetics, including creams, lotions, soaps, and powders, in May.
Likewise, in populous Indonesia, the country’s apex body, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency or Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan, busted an illegal cosmetics trade worth nearly RM8 million (US$2 million) in February, sold mainly by online distributors, as reported by the Jakarta Post.
Cosmetic products such as skin whitening creams are popular among young females but contain high levels of mercury, warns health officials.
Unscrupulous syndicates take advantage of widespread social media marketing and convenient digital payment systems to inundate emerging markets, where products are delivered straight to customers’ doorsteps.
The Interpol conducted an operation across 90 countries that resulted in the seizure of 50.4 million doses of illicit pharmaceuticals worth RM274 million (US$65 million).
Most of the South-East Asian nations participated in Operation Pangea XVII, from December 2024 to May 2025, where 769 suspects were arrested and 123 criminal groups worldwide were crippled.
The counterfeit goods market has evolved into a billion-dollar industry, with criminal organisations producing most consumer products to capitalise on the expanding market.
In Hong Kong last week, customs officers seized 170 boxes of counterfeit mooncakes worth approximately RM543,000 (US$129,000), according to the South China Morning Post.
The World Health Organisation estimates that RM345 billion (US$83 billion) worth of fake drugs are sold in the market annually, and one out of 10 medical products circulating in developing countries is substandard or fake.
