Civil Guard seizes bootleg hams

The Spanish Civil Guard has seized 102 tons of food and nearly 27,000 liters of beverages in a raid against bootlegging.

Eight people have been arrested in the operation, with another 16 under investigation.

Had these products entered the market, they would have posed a serious health risk”

Civil Guard press release

More than 2,000 law enforcement officers were deployed to grocery stores, bars, restaurants, distribution centers, superstores, seaports and airports across Spain.

The bootleg products include 65,172 sweetener pills, 752 legs of Spanish ham, and varying amounts of seafood, fish, canned food, cold cuts, soft drinks, oil, fresh fruit and sweets.

The raid was conducted right before Christmas because this is a time of increased food and drink consumption. The Civil Guard targeted low-quality products and those being sold irregularly in violation of storage, distribution and labeling laws.

“Had these products entered the market, they would have posed a serious health risk,” said the Civil Guard in a press release.

Consumers are being asked to call in if they detect any irregularities in a product they have purchased, and to be wary of items sold under well-known quality brands with oddly low price tags.

Since 2011, Interpol and Europol have been coordinating global raids against the production, adulteration, forgery and trafficking in food products, including those protected under intellectual property laws.

English version by Susana Urra.