Over the past three months, Dutch customs officials have seized 665 packages containing the drug Ivermectin, which is wrongly said to help combat coronavirus.

The shipments were impounded as part of an international campaign by the World Customs Organisation to stop illegal medicines relating to the Covid-19 pandemic, the tax office said in a statement.

The drugs intercepted by customs came mainly from India, Hong Kong and Singapore. In total, the packages contained 55,000 doses of the drug, either as pills or liquids and were all addressed to private individuals.

Ivermectin is a medication used to treat parasite infestations in both humans and animals. Despite claims that it can be successfully used to treat coronavirus, a major investigation into the scientific reports used to justify using the drug has found serious errors and even deliberate manipulation.

The World Health Organisation only recommends use of the drug in connection with coronavirus as part of a clinical trial.

Forum voor Democratie leader Thierry Baudet is among the anti-vaxxers in the Netherlands who promotes the use of Ivermectin.