Deadly synthetic opioids disguised as legitimate painkillers are being sold online across Europe, as counterfeit medicines linked to multiple deaths in the Netherlands expose the dark side of e-commerce.
EU authorities seized over €33 million in counterfeit medicines in 2025 alone. In the Netherlands, fake oxycodone pills have been found containing nitazenes, synthetic opioids up to 500 times stronger than morphine, causing fatal respiratory failure within minutes. Experts blame the explosion of online marketplaces and small parcel shipments, which have made illicit goods nearly impossible to intercept.
Influencers unwittingly fuel demand by rebranding fakes as "dupes" or "clones." With low legal risk and high profits, criminal networks are shifting into counterfeit pharmaceuticals, luxury goods and electronics alike, exploiting consumers who assume online means legitimate.
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