Competent Services of the Greek Police as well as other co-competent Authorities of the Country participated in the operation
The Directorate of Economic Police (D.O.A.) participated in a joint operation under the coordination of EUROPOL, with the code name “OPSON XII”, whose object was to combat the trafficking of counterfeit and low-quality food and beverages.
In particular, according to the relevant announcement, the operation took place between 01-12-2022 and 30-04-2023, with the participation of Prosecuting Authorities from 25 countries and with the support of the European AntiFraud Office (OLAF), European Commission Directorate -General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), European Commission Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) and European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
Competent Services of the Hellenic Police as well as other co-competent Authorities of the Country (S.D.O.E., E.F.E.T., Directorate of Strategy for Customs Controls and Customs Violations, Directorates of the General Directorate of the Agricultural Economy) participated in the operation. of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries of the Attica Region and State General Chemistry).
As part of the operation, 400 investigations were carried out during which 6 criminal networks were dismantledwhile 8,000 tons of counterfeit and degraded products and 6.5 million liters of alcoholic beverages were seized, the value of which is estimated at 30 million euros.
In Greece, the Economic Police Directorate and other police services handled a total of 13 cases for which a total of 33 people were arrested.
Indicatively, 21 members of a criminal organization were arrested in March 2023 as they smuggled alcoholic beverages from Bulgaria, while approximately 16,400 liters of alcoholic beverages and olive oil were confiscated, the value of which exceeds 221,000 euros.
In addition, in another case, more than 1,500 fake cotton, wheat and barley seed certification labels were confiscated, with an estimated loss to the financial interests of the European Union in the amount of 472,000 euros.
More information from the last cycle of operation “OPSON” is available on the EUROPOL website at the following link:
https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/30-million-euros-worth-of-seizures-in-first-opson-europe.
Source: Skai
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