Berlin | Interpol chief Jürgen Stock warned on Monday that he expected a “dramatic” rise in crime over the delivery of doses of COVID-19 vaccines, which has already started in some countries.
“With the delivery of vaccines, crime will increase dramatically,” he said in the German magazine. Wirtschaftswoche.
“We are going to witness thefts, break-ins of warehouses and attacks during the transport of vaccines,” he added while European health authorities must make their decision on Monday on the authorization to put on the market for a first vaccine.
He also expects a resurgence of corruption “in order to obtain the precious remedy more quickly”.
A first vaccine, that developed by the German laboratory BioNTech associated with the American giant Pfizer, has already received the green light from 16 countries.
If the European Medicines Agency (EMA) issues a marketing authorization for this vaccine, the first vaccinations in the European Union (EU) could start as early as Sunday.
In Germany, the federal police are responsible for delivering vaccine doses which will be stored in secret places.
Some may also fear “anti-vaccine” sabotage operations.