Alex Trelinski
AN Alicante fruit and vegetable distributor could be fined up to €3 million for a scam involving bananas.
The company has been accused of passing off bananas as premium platanos from the Canary Islands.
The Guardia Civil said the firm sold nearly 2,000 tons of bananas in 2023 alone with no documentation as to where they originated from.
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Platanos from the Canaries are smaller than traditional bananas and grow on trees for six months, as opposed to three.
They have more flavour with greater sweetness coupled with lower amounts of carbohydrates and sodium.
These factors make a platano tastier to most palates but it is significantly more expensive than a banana.
A trade association from the Canary Islands filed a complaint with the Guardia Civil about the bogus platanos and the Alicante province firm who had their distribution licence suspended.
The group believed that Portuguese bananas were being marketed as platanos.
Inspections were carried out by the Guardia at the company as well as businesses in Alicante, Bilbao, Valencia, and Vigo that were sold the products.
It was confirmed the distributor had received several banana consignments from Madiera and switched the labels.
The company is accused of falsifying documents to fool authorities and purchasers.
The matter has been handed over to the San Vicente del Raspeig investigating court which can dole out fines ranging from €4,001 to as much as €3 million.
