At the beginning of the pandemic, an improvised situation arose when quantities of equipment had to be procured quickly. It was then that the introduction of overseas masks, respirators, medicines and other things increased, Itälä explains.
“Then the introduction of unauthorized care equipment also increased dramatically. Demand for these products rose sky high, and deceivers were attracted by the potentially huge illegal profits one can withdraw, "writes Olaf's Director General Ville Itälä to SVT's partner OCCRP.
Several countries are investigatingSince March 19, the Fraud Office has been investigating illegal trafficking with authorities in several EU countries. It is unclear if Sweden is one of them.
According to the Olaf manager, the most common fraud is exactly what Assignment Review and SVT News can now show is prevalent in Sweden:
"The main characteristic of the fraud is to sell products with certificates obtained from bodies that do not actually have the authority to certify these products, or where the certificates have been issued under unclear circumstances but are allegedly in accordance with EU certification."
Documents are lurkingAll such documents are misleading, and putting a false CE mark on a product is illegal, Itälä emphasizes.
Products with false certificates run the risk of damaging human health, he points out.
“In one Member State, hundreds of thousands of masks were withdrawn and confiscated when they had already arrived at the stores in several hospitals and were just about to be distributed to the healthcare staff. Unfortunately, in another country it was too late and healthcare personnel were infected with the virus because the personal protective equipment purchased by the authorities was substandard, ”writes Ville Itälä.