A report by the Swedish Chemicals Agency revealed that illegal pesticides are widely sold in online commerce, with 140 illegal products identified among 35 e-commerce retailers. The types of illegal products primarily included insecticides and rodenticides. This issue is prevalent across all types of platforms, although the majority of these products were sold through dropshipping operations.

Jennifer Astorsdotter, an inspector at the agency, noted that more than 58% of the identified illegal products were sold via dropshipping, a method where retailers sell items they do not actually keep in stock, instead having them shipped directly from a third-party provider, often located outside of the EU. This practice raises significant concerns about regulatory compliance and consumer safety as these dropshipping channels are difficult to monitor.

As a result of the inspection, sales of the illegal products were halted by 33 out of the 35 online retailers that were investigated. This strong action highlights the need for increased vigilance and oversight in the online retail sector to protect consumers from potentially harmful substances and ensure that e-commerce operators adhere to legal standards, particularly when sourcing products from outside jurisdictions.