Greek authorities smash criminal gang selling adulterated oils
Members of a criminal organisation that was producing tainted oils and selling them as extra virgin olive oil in Greece and other EU nations has been disbanded, according to the Sub-Directorate for Combating Organized Crime of Northern Greece.
To dismantle the criminal organisation, a police operation was carried out at noon on Monday 14 April 2025, in an area of Thessaloniki, by police officers from the Economic Crimes Prosecution Department, and other departments.
Five members of the criminal organisation was arrested, while two were also identified, and accused of forgery, fraud, as well as violation of the laws regulating the product market and the implementation of EU and national legislation in the fields of food, feed and animal health and protection.
The members of the organisation had established and operated from a warehouse since the beginning of January 2025, using a laboratory for the manufacture and standardisation of adulterated oils.
They used the warehouse to transport and store sunflower oil, and using colouring and aromatic substances, created a final product to resemble olive oil.
The oil was then placed in plastic and metal containers, as extra virgin olive oil, with designations of origin of regions of Greece, known for the production of olive oil, and sold it in Greece, but also in European Union countries.
To mislead consumers, the members of the organisation had taken care to procure metal containers for the standardisation of oils that bore printed EU marks for Products of Designation of Origin (PDO), as well as national marks for Products of Geographical Indication (PGI), which are granted only to certified businesses.
The containers were falsely labelled with quality characteristics of olive oil, as well as quality awards, both in Greek and in other languages.
The authorities found and seized a multitude of items from the warehouse including: 16,990 litres of oils, of which 9,995 litres were standardised in containers labelled “extra virgin olive oil”; 536 empty metal oil containers; four containers with colouring and flavouring substances; stickers labelled extra virgin olive oil; paraphernalia necessary for adulterating oils; and monies amounting to €1,780.
It was noted that the leader of the criminal organisation has previously been involved as the main defendant in a case of manufacturing and trafficking in adulterated oils, where a large adulteration laboratory was discovered in his home and a large quantity of oils was seized.
To continue his activities and to make it more difficult to locate him, he chose an area with a large number of buildings of similar use as the location for the storage facility, while in order to cover his tracks, he did not rent the warehouse himself, but used another defendant as the sole partner and manager of the company.
It was found, this company never operated, while it was founded two days before the date of the warehouse lease agreement, in December 2024.
From their actions, the members of the criminal organisation allegedly obtained an illegal benefit exceeding €135,000.
Samples of the seized oils are under investigation by the competent Chemical Service for laboratory examination.
The authorities stressed that to combat the manufacture and trafficking of adulterated oils, from November 2024 to February 2025, dismantled four criminal organisations operating while 12 individuals were arrested, with the total number of defendants amounting to 19 individuals.
These criminal organisations’ operations comprised three oil adulteration laboratories and two oil storage areas while a total of 23,055 litres of oil and 2,517 empty containers.
