€100m worth of dangerous items in fake foods and drinks seized across Europe
More than €100 million worth of potentially dangerous food and drinks was seized in the latest enforcement drive by Europol’s Intellectual Property Crime Coordination Centre, and Interpol, the international organisation that facilitates worldwide police co-operation.
672 individuals were arrested, with investigations ongoing in many countries. Police, customs, national food regulatory authorities, and private sector partners, across 78 countries (including Ireland), took part in the OPSON VIII operation which ran from December 2018 to April 2019.
Some 16,000 tonnes and 33 million litres of potentially dangerous fake foods and drinks were seized, as a result of more than 67,000 checks carried out at shops, markets, airports, seaports and industrial estates.
Tampered expiry dates on cheese and chicken, controlled medicines added to drink products, and meat stored in unsanitary conditions, were some of the offences discovered. Illicit alcohol was the most seized item, followed by cereals and grains, and condiments.
In Lithuania, the customs seized some 335,000 counterfeit sweets packaged in a way to attract the attention of children, one of the most vulnerable consumer groups. In Italy, the NAS Carabinieri seized over 150,000 litres of poor quality sunflower oil made to look like extra virgin oil by adding chlorophyll and beta- carotene.
Ten EU Member States took part in an action led by the UK targeting the sale of 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP), a toxic chemical which is sold (mostly online) as a fat burner. Consumption of DNP can have severe consequences for the health of consumers, and has proven fatal in a number of instances.
A total of 23 seizures of DNP were made, through intelligence-led interventions at residential addresses, test purchases, and through detection of parcels by custom authorities. More than 75 online sales offerings were removed. Through these seizures, it is estimated the equivalent of over 50,000 capsules of DNP have been kept off the consumer market.
