The Tax Agency and the Civil Guard have moved 25 tons of almonds to be intercepted with “very dangerous” toxins. They have done so within the framework of Operation Nuts, an operation in which four people have been arrested, three of Spanish nationality and one of the Netherlands. All have been charged with documentary falsification and crimes against public health.
Almonds With “Fungus Too Toxic And Harmful For Human Consumption”
Preparations for the device began four months ago following the arrival of 25 tonnes of almonds from Australia to Spain through an import process that reportedly complied with regulations. Almonds arrived in Alicante. Once they arrived in the province, the foreign health team of the Alicante government delegation analyzed these fruits, which resulted in very high levels of aflatoxin, which is a “very toxic fungus that is harmful for human consumption.”
Fake certificate of destruction
All these results were communicated to the importer of almonds to eliminate these fruits. The person in charge had an address in Mallorca and requested authorization from Health to transfer the matter and destroy this product in an incinerator. The poisoned almonds arrived in the city of Binisalem, but not everything happened as agreed by the authorities.
Those responsible for destroying these goods broke the sanitary seal of the container where they were transported and deposited them in an industrial warehouse. After that, this group changed the type and size of the containers, moving these fruits to Alicante “due to the investigation that the authorities were conducting.”
Those in charge broke the sanitary seal where they were taken
At the same time, instead of destroying the almonds, they replaced the trade with other almond shells containing similar quantities. Because of all this, he had to get a certificate from the company certifying their destruction, for a total of 25 tons of almonds containing the toxin. “In this way, with material and documentary falsities, they tried to divert a product highly harmful to health for consumption,” said the statement from the Tax Agency and the Civil Guard.
Investigators from the Customs Monitoring Service of the Tax Agency and the Nature Protection Service of the Civil Guard managed to freeze the consignment in Alicante, arresting four people responsible for importing, transporting and destroying the almonds.
Images provided by the tax agency and the Civil Guard show these 25 tonnes of almonds in the middle of a warehouse, while agents monitor these fruits through gloves because of the high toxicity of their constituents.
