More than 250 tons of medical products were confiscated in Central Africa over six years, according to a new UN report highlighting an illicit market that goes well beyond counterfeit drugs. The seizures included authentic medicines diverted from legal supply chains, unauthorized products and pharmaceuticals smuggled across borders.
Authorities in Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, the Central African Republic and Chad seized 251 tons of medical products between 2020 and 2025. Annual seizures climbed from roughly 5 tons in 2020 to nearly 116 tonnes in 2024, before topping 97 tonnes in 2025.
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The UN warned that the steep rise should not be treated as a straightforward measure of the illicit trade’s growth. Larger seizures may indicate increased trafficking, but they can also reflect more effective enforcement by authorities.
