The criminal organization responsible for the olive oil fraudsters pocketed nearly $9 million annually from their illicit activity.
Europol, in colÂlabÂoÂraÂtion with Italian and German authorÂiÂties, conÂfisÂcated 150,000 liters of adulÂterÂated olive oil and arrested 20 indiÂvidÂuÂals who were part of a well-orgaÂnized gang that modÂiÂfied low-qualÂity oils to be sold as extra virÂgin olive oil in Germany. The accused made approxÂiÂmately €8 milÂlion annuÂally from this operÂaÂtion, part of a larger effort by Operation OPSON to comÂbat food fraud and ensure the qualÂity of food and drinks disÂtribÂuted across Europe.
Europol’s intelÂlecÂtual propÂerty crime unit seized 150,000 liters of adulÂterÂated olive oil headÂing for German restauÂrants and arrested 20 peoÂple in a joint operÂaÂtion with the Italian NAS Carabinieri and the Tribunal of Darmstadt in Germany.
The accused allegedly modÂiÂfied low-qualÂity sunÂflower oil with chloroÂphyll, beta-carotene and soya, which was then passed off as extra virÂgin olive oil to be sold in Germany. In some cases, genÂuine olive oil had been comÂpletely replaced with fake oil but was still touted as olive oil.
The oil adulÂterÂation took place by a well-orgaÂnized gang at an unregÂuÂlated mill in Italy under unsanÂiÂtary conÂdiÂtions. It was then transÂported to wareÂhouses in Germany for disÂtriÂbÂuÂtion to buyÂers.
See Also:Olive Oil FraudThe accused included driÂvers who made fortÂnightly delivÂerÂies of the fake oil to Germany in trucks and accomÂplices who were responÂsiÂble for the proÂducÂtion and packÂagÂing of the oil.
Twenty houses were searched in Italy whilst in Germany five trucks, each carÂryÂing 23,000 liters of fake oil, were hauled in. Overall, 150,000 liters of fake olive oil were conÂfisÂcated at a range of locaÂtions durÂing the operÂaÂtion.
The accused are believed to have pockÂeted around €8 milÂlion ($8.93 milÂlion) annuÂally from their adulÂterÂatÂing operÂaÂtion. It is also believed that they acquired one milÂlion liters of sunÂflower oil each year for around €100,000,000 ($111,690,000) and then sold on their fake olive oil for between €5 and €10 ($5.58 and $11.17) per liter.
This seizure was part of an ongoÂing effort by Operation OPSON to eradÂiÂcate food fraud and preÂvent subÂstanÂdard food and drinks being disÂtribÂuted across Europe and furÂther afield.
Europol gave its full supÂport to the operÂaÂtion, which began in March 2019 with a briefÂing attended by repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtives from the Italian and German authorÂiÂties at Europol’s headÂquarÂters in The Hague.
The orgaÂniÂzaÂtion’s role included proÂcessÂing and anaÂlyzÂing inforÂmaÂtion obtained by invesÂtiÂgatÂing units as well as makÂing experts from the Intellectual Property Crime Coordinated Coalition availÂable on the day of action to proÂvide onsite supÂport.
Back In 2017, Europol issued warnÂings to proÂducÂers and conÂsumers that fraudÂuÂlent food prodÂucts, includÂing olive oil, cheese, wines and spirÂits were on the rise across the E.U. Germany was named as one of the counÂtries most affected along with Spain, France, Italy and Greece.
In the same year, a joint operÂaÂtion between Interpol and Europol resulted in €230 milÂlion ($290 milÂlion) of counÂterÂfeit and subÂstanÂdard food and bevÂerÂages being seized in an operÂaÂtion spanÂning across 61 counÂtries. This operÂaÂtion unveiled wideÂspread fraudÂuÂlence in prodÂucts, rangÂing from olive oil to alcoÂholic bevÂerÂages.
Participating counÂtries received speÂcific Europol trainÂing on olive oil qualÂity to assist them in detectÂing fraud. In Denmark, where the operÂaÂtion focused on olive oil, it was disÂcovÂered that many prodÂucts labeled as virÂgin olive oil were blended with other grades and, in some cases, the prodÂuct was no more than lamÂpante oil.
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