Bogus alcoholic drinks is among top Interpol's annual tally of toxic and counterfeit food seized by police agencies across the world. (Representational Image)
Paris:
It reads like the world's worst menu.
Italian olives painted with copper sulphate solution, Sudanese sugar tainted with fertilizer, and hundreds of thousands of litres (gallons) of bogus alcoholic drinks top Interpol's annual tally of toxic and counterfeit food seized by police agencies across the world.
The haul of bogus diet supplements, adulterated honey and formalin-drenched chicken guts makes for stomach-churning reading.
A statement Wednesday by Interpol said that a record 10,000 tonnes (roughly 11,000 U.S. tons) has been recovered across 57 countries. Some busts have been previously reported.
European law-enforcement agency Europol, which coordinated the seizures along with Interpol over the past three months, says counterfeit food is "a multi-billion criminal industry which can pose serious potential health risks to unsuspecting customers."
In Italy, officers seized 85 tonnes of olives "painted with copper sulphate to enhance their colour," while British police recovered nearly 10,000 litres of fake or adulterated alcohol, including wine, whisky and vodka.
The raids were carried out as part of Operation Opson V, which involved law enforcement from 57 countries as well as global policing agency Interpol and its EU counterpart, Europol said in a statement.
The crackdown from November to February -- hailed as the "largest-ever seizure" -- also uncovered one million litres of fake drink, enough to fill more than 12,000 bathtubs.
"Police, customs, national food regulatory bodies and partners from the private sector carried out checks at shops, markets, airports, seaports and industrial estates," Europol said.
At Brussels' Zaventem airport -- scene of last week's bomb attacks -- customs officials found several kilogrammes of monkey meat, while in France officers seized and destroyed 11 kilogrammes of locusts and 20 kilogrammes of caterpillars.
Nearly nine tonnes of counterfeit sugar contaminated with fertiliser was found in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, and in Burundi officers seized more than 36,000 litres of illicit alcohol as well as nine AK-47 assault rifles and three grenades.
In Greece, three factories producing illegal alcohol were closed down and more than 7,400 bottles of fake alcohol and labels were netted.
Thai police destroyed 30 tonnes of illegal beef and buffalo meat, unfit for human consumption, while in Australia testing on 450 kilos of honey found it had been blended or adulterated, Europol said.
In Indonesia, officials found 70 kilogrammes of chicken intestines preserved in formalin, prohibited as a food additive.
Bolivian police discovered a warehouse containing thousands of cans of sardines with fake labels of a famous Peruvian brand ready to be stuck on.
"Fake and dangerous food and drink threaten the health and safety of people around the world, who are often unsuspectingly buying these potentially very dangerous goods," said Michael Ellis, who heads Interpol's trafficking in illicit goods unit.
"Today's rising food prices and the global nature of the food chain offer the opportunity for criminals to sell counterfeit and substandard food in a multi-billion criminal industry," added Europol's Chris Vansteenkiste.
Italian olives painted with copper sulphate solution, Sudanese sugar tainted with fertilizer, and hundreds of thousands of litres (gallons) of bogus alcoholic drinks top Interpol's annual tally of toxic and counterfeit food seized by police agencies across the world.
The haul of bogus diet supplements, adulterated honey and formalin-drenched chicken guts makes for stomach-churning reading.
A statement Wednesday by Interpol said that a record 10,000 tonnes (roughly 11,000 U.S. tons) has been recovered across 57 countries. Some busts have been previously reported.
European law-enforcement agency Europol, which coordinated the seizures along with Interpol over the past three months, says counterfeit food is "a multi-billion criminal industry which can pose serious potential health risks to unsuspecting customers."
In Italy, officers seized 85 tonnes of olives "painted with copper sulphate to enhance their colour," while British police recovered nearly 10,000 litres of fake or adulterated alcohol, including wine, whisky and vodka.
The raids were carried out as part of Operation Opson V, which involved law enforcement from 57 countries as well as global policing agency Interpol and its EU counterpart, Europol said in a statement.
The crackdown from November to February -- hailed as the "largest-ever seizure" -- also uncovered one million litres of fake drink, enough to fill more than 12,000 bathtubs.
"Police, customs, national food regulatory bodies and partners from the private sector carried out checks at shops, markets, airports, seaports and industrial estates," Europol said.
At Brussels' Zaventem airport -- scene of last week's bomb attacks -- customs officials found several kilogrammes of monkey meat, while in France officers seized and destroyed 11 kilogrammes of locusts and 20 kilogrammes of caterpillars.
Nearly nine tonnes of counterfeit sugar contaminated with fertiliser was found in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, and in Burundi officers seized more than 36,000 litres of illicit alcohol as well as nine AK-47 assault rifles and three grenades.
In Greece, three factories producing illegal alcohol were closed down and more than 7,400 bottles of fake alcohol and labels were netted.
Thai police destroyed 30 tonnes of illegal beef and buffalo meat, unfit for human consumption, while in Australia testing on 450 kilos of honey found it had been blended or adulterated, Europol said.
In Indonesia, officials found 70 kilogrammes of chicken intestines preserved in formalin, prohibited as a food additive.
Bolivian police discovered a warehouse containing thousands of cans of sardines with fake labels of a famous Peruvian brand ready to be stuck on.
"Fake and dangerous food and drink threaten the health and safety of people around the world, who are often unsuspectingly buying these potentially very dangerous goods," said Michael Ellis, who heads Interpol's trafficking in illicit goods unit.
"Today's rising food prices and the global nature of the food chain offer the opportunity for criminals to sell counterfeit and substandard food in a multi-billion criminal industry," added Europol's Chris Vansteenkiste.
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