Spanish Authorities Investigate Alleged Tomato Smuggling Ring from Morocco

A well-oiled network would be behind this fraud operation that would bring in huge dividends, while in the Spanish camp, the time has come for denunciation and investigations.

According to the Spanish media La Voz de Almeria, the tomatoes come from farms located in the Agadir region. Transported to the ports of Tangier and Ceuta, they reach the ports of Algeciras and Motril in Spain. From there, they are then transferred to warehouses in Andalusia, near Almeria and Granada. From these places, they are shipped to national and international markets.

In total, six local companies are suspected of fueling this fraudulent trade. Once the Moroccan tomatoes are recovered, the latter proceed to a new labeling, to make believe that they come from the city of Almeria. This is how Moroccan tomatoes end up in the dishes of Spanish and European consumers.

Faced with the phenomenon, the producers of Almeria cried out for "unfair competition" carried out through "illegal and fraudulent" practices, forcing the Andalusian administration to take measures. In turn, several Spanish agricultural organizations filed a complaint denouncing flaws in the inspection system for imported goods. In the wake of this, more than 250 seizures in the agricultural areas of Almeria were carried out by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development, in the second half of 2019.

An investigation has already been opened against 6 companies in the Andalusian province, for "fraud against Spanish and European consumers". Meanwhile, on the Moroccan side, no reaction has been observed so far.