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A criminal network that uses reintroducing expired food into the supply chain to operate has been exposed by a two-part investigation spanning several EU Member States. Law enforcement officers have detained a total of 27 criminals for this relatively recent criminal activity that endangers the health and safety of European consumers. The suspects began acquiring enormous quantities of expired food and drinks by taking advantage of supply chain weaknesses that were initially brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The printed expiry date would then be chemically removed from each item and replaced with a new one. In other instances, a brand-new label was forged and applied to give the appearance that the packaged food or beverage was still fresh and suitable for consumption. Relabelled foods and drinks may not only be unpleasant to consume but may also be harmful to human health.
Within the framework of OPSON, a sizable investigation into the food industry led by Europol, this specific modus operandi was identified and further investigated. Two targeted operations resulted from the subsequent investigations, which were conducted by Member States under the direction of Europol.
Two significant blows to food fraudsters.
On May 23, 2023, an organized crime ring that had resold millions of expired food items with altered labels was brought down by the Lithuanian Police (Lietuvos policija) and law enforcement from other EU members. This operation was coordinated by Europol and Eurojust. It is estimated that the fraudsters, who are also being looked into for widespread VAT fraud, made at least EUR 1 million from their food labeling scheme. Equipment for changing the expiration dates on products was seized by officers who conducted 70 searches and inspections, including at warehouses. Printers, labels, and household cleaners were all part of this machinery. Over a million packages of food and drink were discovered, and their entry into the market was stopped.
On July 11, 2023, three people were taken into custody as a result of an action day. The Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) and the Italian Carabinieri (Nuclei Antisofisticazione e Sanità dell'Arma dei Carabinieri) supported the action day that Europol organized in Italy. In total, 14 searches were conducted by law enforcement, and more than 500 000 food and drink items as well as tools used by the criminals were seized. The fact that many of the food products seized were not only past their expiration dates but also already spoiled highlights the potential harm to consumers. The criminal network acquired expired food and drinks for little to no money and changed the expiration dates with new ones to enable their resale. Reintroducing these products into the supply chain led to enormous profits being made at the expense of unaware customers. The scale of the phenomenon is novel, and it has spread throughout several EU Member States. However, since intermediary suppliers or other businesses engaged in food disposal are used as facilitators in this specific criminal activity, food producers are not involved.
role of Europol.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Europol identified the phenomenon as one of the primary incoming threats and warned EU Member States by disseminating operational plans. Europol experts discovered a crucial link tying the Italian and Lithuanian investigations together, illustrating the broad scope of the trend. In order to conduct forensic analysis and provide on-the-spot support with mobile offices, Europol officers were deployed during the action days.
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