A record haul of 2,040 metric tons of illegal or counterfeit pesticides were seized in Europe earlier this year under Operation Silver Axe VIII, the eighth annual operation coordinated by the EU’s law enforcement agency, Europol. The effort marks an over 80% rise in the seizure of illegal pesticides on last year, with 21 people being arrested and several production facilities being dismantled. The operation ran for just over three months from late January to late April. The operation follows the haul of 1,150 metric tons in 2022 and the previous record of 1,346 metric tons in 2020. Last year, Europol warned of a rise in production and distribution of fake pesticides in the region, with 10 people being arrested.
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