Police officers from the Economic Crime Investigation Service carried out eight home searches targeting the representatives of a company suspected of having sold fruit with a high pesticide content to a hypermarket chain.
The fruit allegedly originated from Egypt but was presented as having been imported from Greece by falsifying the packaging.
"Police officers from the Bucharest General Police Directorate (DGPMB) - the Economic Crime Investigation Service on Thursday conducted eight home searches in Bucharest and the Ilfov and Ialomita counties, as part of a criminal case investigating alleged offences of tax evasion, counterfeiting or substitution of food or other products, and forgery of private documents, the DGPMB Press Office said.
According to investigators, the suspects, acting as representatives of a commercial company, allegedly offered for sale approximately 12,400 kilogrammes of fruit imported from Egypt. The origin details were allegedly falsified by replacing the packaging and labels, so that the country of origin was changed from Egypt to Greece.
Investigations have established that the substitution of the goods was allegedly carried out in order to conceal a high pesticide content, far exceeding the maximum level permitted under European regulations.
The products were allegedly offered for consumption through a hypermarket chain, and the revenues obtained from their sale were not recorded in the supplier company's accounting records.
In order to secure evidence, eight residential search warrants were executed on Thursday. Several items of interest to the case were identified and seized, and 12 individuals - suspects and witnesses - are to be taken in for questioning so that the necessary legal measures may be taken.
'The investigations are being continued by the Economic Crime Investigation Service, under the supervision of the Prosecutor's Office attached to the Bucharest Court, in relation to the offences of tax evasion, counterfeiting of food or other products, and forgery of private documents," the same source stated.
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