A secret drug factory was seized in Vienna supplying large parts of Europe.
A drug lab supplying large parts of Europe has been uncovered in Vienna during a major international investigation. Authorities say the facility produced and shipped banned performance-enhancing drugs on an industrial scale.
The discovery was part of "Operation Shield Six", a coordinated campaign led by Europol and carried out in 30 European countries, including Austria. Between April and November of last year, police arrested 3,354 suspects and seized huge quantities of illegal pharmaceutical products.
According to the Austrian Federal Criminal Police Office (BK), untrained workers operated the lab in Vienna, where they filled and labeled anabolic steroids and SARMs in unsterile conditions. The final products were shipped from Austria to Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and other countries. Investigators found cylinders and bags of substances, as well as capsule filling machines, printers, label rolls, and millions of empty capsules.
Electronic evidence confirms that at least 3602 bottles of prohibited substances known as SARMs, including MK-677, MK-2866, RAD-140, and Dianabol, have been distributed. These substances are listed as prohibited anabolic agents by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Authorities say the legal limit has been exceeded by up to 100,000 times, and potential profits have reached nearly one million euros. The suspects have been reported to the Public Prosecutor's Office in Vienna.
Across Europe, products worth around 33 million euros have been seized with the support of OLAF, EUIPO, Frontex, INTERPOL, and WADA. Investigators also confiscated tens of thousands of packages of medical devices and supplements, illegally prescribed medications, cash, and weapons. Officials warned that counterfeit medicines pose serious health risks and that online platforms and the dark web play a central role in pharmaceutical crimes.