A major operation by the Guardia Civil in Bizkaia has struck a blow against irregular commerce, seizing 12,758 food products and alcoholic beverages, predominantly from Eastern Europe. Approximately four tons of merchandise were sealed off in a large warehouse located in the Ibaizabal area, during an intervention witnessed by this newspaper. The total value of these products for retail sale is estimated at 31,811 euros.
The intervention took place this Tuesday, June 16th, at an establishment open for public sale. In recent months, agents from the Fiscal and Borders Analysis and Investigation Unit (UDAIFF) Bizkaia had detected the possibility that this space was selling goods from third countries without complying with applicable labeling, traceability, or marketing regulations, prompting them to focus on analyzing the establishment's operations.
Agents arrived at the specific location shortly after 9:00 AM. Upon arrival, they found only workers, whom they asked to summon the individuals managing the premises. These individuals appeared within minutes, at which point they were informed of the impending operation.
The UDAIFF agents observed the products on sale, inspected the facilities, and proceeded to identify the individuals present. Anyone found to be in an irregular situation in the country would be reported for an infraction of the Foreigners Law, with notification to the National Police.
The officers meticulously divided the warehouse space and began verifying the products. They located packaged goods that lacked mandatory information in Spanish. Among the detected deficiencies were products without Spanish labeling, absence of ingredient information, lack of importer identification, and missing data regarding food preservation and traceability. Similar checks were conducted on alcoholic beverages, focusing on labeling irregularities.
While filling shopping carts with products that could not be legally sold, the documentation team tallied the items and their prices. In just forty minutes, over 300 kilograms of food non-compliant with current law were removed from the shelves.
Following extensive work that lasted throughout Tuesday, four tons of merchandise were ultimately seized. The owner of the warehouse, situated in the Vizcayan area of Ibaizabal, cooperated throughout the operation, which continued until the facility's closure. Upon conclusion, agents filed two reports concerning taxes and food safety, one addressed to the Health Department of the Basque Government and the other to the Regional Dependency of Customs and Special Taxes.
This week's operation marks the second major intervention of this nature completed by the Guardia Civil in the territory in recent months. Between mid-April and May 11th, the same unit conducted three fiscal inspections in two food establishments in Bilbao and one in Basauri, resulting in the seizure of over 5,000 food products and the sealing of approximately 1.3 tons of merchandise.
These actions are related to state fiscal protection, merchandise control, smuggling, counterfeiting, commercial fraud, and various administrative infractions. Specifically, the absence or deficiency of information on food labeling can pose a direct risk to consumers, preventing them from having clear details about the origin, exact composition, or proper storage of the products they purchase.
