4 Dec, 2023 @ 16:24
1 min read

Olive oil mafia which ‘sold fake extra virgin shipments abroad’ is exposed following raids in Spain and Italy

THE Guardia Civil has arrested 11 people in Spain and Italy for belonging to a gang trading tampered olive oil. 

Authorities have seized 16 containers with over 5,200 litres of oil ready to be sold in Jaen, Ciudad Real and Cordoba. 

It is part of a joint operation between Europol and the Carabinieri, Italy’s foreign police force. 

Olive oil gang busted in Spain Photo: Guardia Civil

Known as ‘Omegabad’, the operation began when an officer of Spain’s Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA) stopped a van transporting olive oil in Manzares, Ciudad Real. 

The officer noticed a series of anomalies which led to an investigation revealing two branches of a criminal olive oil gang in Spain and Italy. 

The Spanish section of the gang was responsible for sourcing low quality oils, which were then mixed with virgin and extra virgin olive oil. 

The levels of the different oils had to be carefully measured to ensure they had the right amount of fats and other chemicals to make them seem like real virgin olive oil. 

Then, the gang produced false documentation so that they could sell the diluted oil at higher prices and at an international level.

In Italy, two businesses were responsible for carrying out the same task in the famed olive oil areas of the country. 

As well as the olive oil, €91,000 in cash and four high end cars were seized during the eight raids, five of which were in storage rooms and packing units throughout Spain.

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Yzabelle Bostyn

Yzabelle Bostyn is an NCTJ trained journalist who started her journalistic career at the Olive Press in 2023.
Before moving to Spain, she studied for a BA in English Literature and Hispanic Studies at the University of Sheffield.
After graduating she moved to the university’s journalism department, one of the best in the UK.
Throughout the past few years, she has taken on many roles including social media marketing, copywriting and radio presenting.
She then took a year out to travel Latin America, scaling volcanoes in Guatemala and swimming with sharks in Belize.
Then, she came to the Olive Press last year where she has honed her travel writing skills and reported on many fantastic experiences such as the Al Andalus luxury train.
She has also undertaken many investigations, looking into complex issues like Spain’s rental crisis and rising cancer rates.
Always willing to help, she has exposed many frauds and scams, working alongside victims to achieve justice.
She is most proud of her work on Nolotil, a drug linked to the deaths of many Brits in Spain.
A campaign launched by Yzabelle has received considerable support and her coverage has been by the UK and Spanish media alike.
Her writing has featured on many UK news outlets from the Sun to the Mail Online, who contracted her to report for them in Tenerife on growing tourism issues.
Recently, she has appeared on Times Radio covering deadly flooding in Valencia.

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