Illegal imports of medicinal products in 2025: more consignments, new products trends and increasing shipments from the EU

Together with the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) and other authorities, Swissmedic dealt with a total of 6,647 illegal imports of medicinal products in 2025. While the number of consignments secured has remained stable over several years, there are noticeable shifts in the types of products imported and the countries of origin. The results underline the continued risks of illegal imports of medicinal products for public health.

The FOCBS detected 6,647 illegal imports of medicinal products at the Swiss border (2024: 5,668; 17 percent increase). The figures also include medicinal products containing narcotics, which in certain cases were further processed by the cantons. Of the 6,398 cases handled by Swissmedic, 5,983 (94 percent) were concluded using the simplified procedure: people who order medicinal products from illegal sources for personal use receive a warning and the seized goods are destroyed in order to safeguard health. Swissmedic also conducted 70 regular administrative proceedings for which a fee is charged.

Shift in product categories

The proportion of erectile stimulants confiscated decreased further to 41 percent. At the same time, there was a marked rise in other product groups: hair loss products accounted for around 19 percent of all consignments confiscated in 2025. Hormones (including melatonin) constituted 12 percent. Many of these products came from the USA, and in some cases were sent to Switzerland via EU transit countries. Medicinal products with significant potential for addiction were also confiscated, including psychotropic agents and sleeping tablets/tranquilisers (8 percent) as well as nasal sprays and laxatives (5 percent). Imports of medicinal products to combat pathogens, such as antibiotics, antiparasitics and antivirals (3 percent), continue to be particularly concerning, as their uncontrolled use can contribute to development of resistance.

Increasing shipments from EU countries

The considerable rise in illegal medicinal product consignments from Western European countries is noticeable. While only 9 percent of consignments came from Western Europe in 2022, the proportion was around 40 percent in 2025, particularly from France and Germany. The share of consignments from India and Eastern Europe fell over the same period. Offers from foreign websites that present themselves as supposed Swiss online pharmacies are particularly deceptive. By using Swiss symbols, domain extensions or logos, they deliberately mislead consumers to feign trustworthiness and legal security – although they have no connection to Switzerland, let alone licences for mail order selling in Switzerland.

Criminal proceedings and collaboration with prosecution authorities

The Penal Division conducted criminal administrative proceedings for 70 illegal imports of medicinal products; this is almost double the number from the previous year. Around two-thirds of cases involved imports of erectile stimulants. It passed a further 145 other cases concerning “mixed packages” of narcotics and other medicinal products on to the competent cantonal public prosecutors. Criminal proceedings were also brought in cases of repeated orders by individuals who had already been prosecuted under the simplified procedure.

Focus campaign: focus on illegal intermediaries

At the start of November 2025, 2,117 consignments were checked during an international focus campaign together with the FOCBS, Swiss Sport Integrity (SSI) and representatives of the Principality of Liechtenstein. Of these, 27 percent had to be confiscated. Around 40 percent of the shipments checked originated from EU countries. More than 500 consignments had to be released, despite illegal origin, as they did not meet the legal criteria for confiscation. Shipments containing Indian erectile stimulants that were sent via criminal intermediaries in the EU were a problem. These traders deliberately divide up larger orders into small partial consignments so that they remain below the tolerated import level of one month’s supply for private individuals. As part of the focus campaign, such patterns were detected and more than 200 partial consignments were matched, consolidated and confiscated.

Continuing health risks from illegal imports

The market for illegally imported medicinal products is constantly adapting. New product trends, changing dispatch routes and professionally organised intermediaries make checks more difficult. To protect the public against the health risks of illegal, untested medicinal products, both strong market surveillance and providing information on the associated health risks remain crucial.