The Civil Guard has detected 19 crimes against products with designation of origin within the framework of the Delta-India operation, in which almost 3,000 hams and shoulders have been seized for food fraud in Huelva and more than 5,000 litres of alcoholic beverages in Alicante.

After carrying out 2,800 inspections in establishments and means of transport, the armed institute has also investigated 202 infringements against products with protected designations of origin and geographical indications so far in 2023 and 17 people for crimes against the market and consumers, against industrial property and for food fraud.

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Seville.

The millionaire scam of the pata negras: more than 50 tons of fake hams and shoulders are located in Seville

  • Written by: EFE Sevilla

The millionaire scam of the pata negras: more than 50 tons of fake hams and shoulders are located in Seville

This is the Delta-India operation, the General Directorate of the Civil Guard reported this Wednesday in a statement, whose objective is to guarantee the veracity of the information on the food products or beverages that the consumer purchases.

In it, several 'modus operandi' have been identified: falsification of documents for the import of products that are deficient or in breach of the existing legal requirements in Spain and falsification of stamped effects or seals of the packaging itself.

Among the frauds related to food, they recognize their own qualitative characteristics related to their geographical area of origin or manufacture, wine, Iberian pork products and alcoholic beverages.

The Civil Guard has stressed that the Delta-India operation seeks to defend "the rights of farmers and producers with equitable incomes based on the differentiated quality of specific products, thus allowing the economy of rural areas, many of them in danger of depopulation, to generate employment and fix population in rural areas".

The armed institute highlights three actions by the commanderies of Huelva, Alicante and Toledo.

In Huelva, several alleged crimes of food fraud have been detected with cured Iberian pork products. This police investigation began in February 2022.

The criminal organisation had been active for a few years in the Sierra de Huelva and was dedicated to the fraudulent sale of hams and shoulders, manipulating the labelling of origin of the pieces to relabel it and sell the product under its own brand.

56,176 kilos and 2,998 pieces of hams and shoulders have been seized after detecting food fraud in products with irregularities in production, labelling and marketing.

On the other hand, in the Alicante command, a winery has been located in which different products were illegally adulterated, especially wine-based flavored beverages purchased from legal manufacturers.

In this winery, different aromatic essences and sugar were added to give them a taste and smell similar to other alcoholic beverages such as vermouth, muscat and mistela.

Two people are under investigation and 5,571 litres of different alcoholic beverages and 1,950 kilos of honey have been seized.

Finally, the Nature Protection Service (Seprona) of the Toledo Command has investigated the manager of a cooperative for a crime against industrial property for the production and sale to the public of wine labelled with the designation of origin "La Mancha" without being registered or having authorization from the aforementioned protected designation of origin.

25,000 labels, 29,000 back labels and 7,200 capsules with the symbology of the "D.O.P. La Mancha" have been seized.

  • Huelva
  • Alicante
  • Guardia Civil