The Civil Guard detained eleven individuals suspected of founding a transnational organization with two branches dedicated to distributing adulterated olive oil on an international scale, including operations across Spain and Italy. Authorities reported that sixteen oil storage tanks and more than 5,200 liters of product prepared for sale were seized as part of the disruption.
The operation, conducted in coordination with the Carabinieri and Europol, involved eight search actions at cooperatives across several provinces, specifically Real City, Jaen, and Cordoba. According to the official statement, the Seprona unit of the Civil Guard conducted thorough inspections related to a truck transporting olive oil in Manzanares (Real City), uncovering a series of irregularities. The investigation led to the launch of Operation Omegabad by the Organic Unit of the Judicial Police, which confirmed the existence of an organized network with two branches, one based in Spain and the other in Italy, allegedly distributing forged and adulterated olive oil to international markets.
In Spain, the group leveraged a company tied to the procurement of lower-grade oils to reclassify cloudy oils, then convert them into virgin and extra virgin varieties by submitting falsified documentation in order to facilitate market distribution.
According to authorities, the criminals mixed cloudy by-products with higher-quality olive oil to achieve, through manipulation of fat content and erythrodiol indicators, a profile that satisfied regulatory thresholds for sale. They also undermined traceability by failing to register the company’s olive oil operations, complicating oversight and surveillance efforts.
In Italy, two companies allegedly consolidated oils from multiple countries involved in the olive oil circulation, with most entering the European Union via Portugal and following a similar pattern of fraud and manipulation as observed in Spain.
The operation exposed a robust transnational trading network supported by dealers in major oil-producing countries. The structure exploited gaps in traceability controls, making adulteration easier and harder to detect across borders.
Italian Carabinieri and Europol also participated in the inspections during the investigation. Eight searches were conducted simultaneously in Spain and Italy, resulting in eleven arrests. Five of the inspections targeted oil bottling plants and storage facilities in the provinces of Ciudad Real, Jaén, and Córdoba.
Among the seizures were sixteen oil tanks and more than 5,200 liters of adulterated olive oil that were poised for sale to consumers. Authorities also seized more than 91,000 euros in cash, four luxury vehicles, and froze several bank accounts in connection with the case, underscoring the scale of the operation and the economic impact of the fraud.