Spanish Traveler Files Complaint After Border Guards Seize Moroccan Olive Oil

The facts occurred in the afternoon of July 7 at the Beni Enzar border post in Melilla. In his letter addressed on July 30 to the Ombudsman and to which Vozpópuli had access, the Spanish citizen explained that the Civil Guard seized without valid reason two cans containing 6.5 liters of olive oil while he was returning with his family from Morocco where he had visited his in-laws who produce this oil.

The Spanish citizen said he was surprised when a civil guard informed him that he could not enter Spain with the 6.5 liters of olive oil, the authorized quantity being set at five liters. The agent then offered him the option of returning the product to Morocco or leaving it at the border for destruction. The Spaniard ultimately chose the second option. He asks the Ombudsman to help him understand the reasons that led the agents of the Armed Institute to seize these oils intended for personal use.

In his complaint, the Spaniard notes that this measure was not the subject of any poster in the strategic areas for passengers coming from Morocco. He also argues that the maximum quantity set by the texts is 10 kg/l per private vehicle. "There is a contradiction between the European regulation on maximum quantities and the national regulation," he points out, stressing that the Spanish authorities have not updated the IM/1/2022 circular setting the quantity limits for two years.

The Spanish citizen believes that the control of the quality of food products intended for consumption does not fall within the competence of the Civil Guard, but rather of the Ministry of Health and the one in charge of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. For this reason, he requests the restitution of the 6.5 liters of seized oil and that the roles of the Civil Guard and the health inspection services be well defined at the border.