The paper will examine the international organized crime in trafficking food and drinks. In the last year in a joint operation of Europol and Interpol much of the potential hazardous drink and food was seized in various countries. It is the crime that has not been in the center of attention, but nonetheless plays a very important role in the health and security of the worlds’ population.
The issue, the problem represents in the world has been stated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (n.d.) since the organized groups has been active in the production and distribution of the counterfeit goods and are also active in other crimes such as drug, weapon and human trafficking. Social tolerance is greater for such crimes but the financial flows have shown that illicit trafficking of goods is linked to the money laundering and other crimes which trend is intensifying. A coercion, corruption and criminal gang has resulted based on the OECD in the counterfeiting value of $250 billion per year. In the illegal traffic social, ethical and health concerns arises with negative effect on the environment, the usual involve the labor exploitation and are a threat to public health and safety (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, n.d.).
The article has on 16 February 2015 reported of thousands of tons of fake sub-standard drink and food that has been seized in 47 countries around the world and was carried out as a joint action between the Interpol and Europol. The seizure contained various products from mozzarella, strawberries, eggs, cooking oil and dried fruit. The Italian officials seized around 31 tons of seafood that was labeled as fresh, but it was frozen and in it the chemical substance containing citric acid was found. In the United Kingdom the majority of seized products included drinks of fake vodka that can pose a risk and puts the health and safety of people consuming it. Tons of potential hazardous drink and food have been taken off the market. The Opson operation has showed the threat the drink and food fraud represents (New Europe, 2015).
Europol has on his web page reported that the sub-standard and fake drink and food have been seized in 47 different countries as a part of the cooperation between Europol and Interpol under the operation Opson IV that lasted during December 2014 and January 2015. As a result of the operation number of arrests across different countries followed and investigation was still continuing in order to disrupt the networks and flows of organized crime in trafficking fake goods. In Thailand was illegally imported around 85 tons of meat without the prior testing to meet the safety regulations. The countries that were involved in the operation are: “Austria, Belgium, Benin, Belarus, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burundi, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Uruguay, United Kingdom, USA and Vietnam« (Europol, 2015).
The illicit produced good represent a threat to health and security from various filed from chemical, pesticides, consumer electronics, automotive, electronic components, food, drink and agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, tobacco and other household products. The threat is present since the illicit products and goods are not in accordance to the adopted standards of the countries and violate many laws. They are sold only for making a profit not to actually care about the well-being of individuals who buy the goods. They could use poisons substances or chemicals that otherwise would not enter into the market if they would come by regular ways of trade. In seems that the media has not been reporting enough about the importance consequences illicit food and drink and products can have on every individual, since also about this historical event with the tons seized there has not been widely reported. It is important to also cover this aspect in media since there has been proven connections of illicit trafficking of goods with other organized crime activities.
Work Cited
Europol. (2015). Record Seizure of Fake Food and Drink in Interpol-Europol Operation. Retrieved https://www.europol.europa.eu/content/record-seizures-fake-food-and- drink-interpol-europol-operation
New Europe. (2015). Interpol and Europol Seized More Than 2.500 tons of Counterfeit and Illicit Food. Retrieved http://neurope.eu/article/record-seizures-fake-food-and-drink/
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (n.d.). Focus on the Illicit Trafficking of Counterfeit Goods and Transnational organized Crime. Retrieved https://www.unodc.org/documents/counterfeit/FocusSheet/Counterfeit_focussheet_EN _HIRES.pdf
