27 suspects arrested for tampering with expiration dates of imported fish

The General Directorate of Criminal Investigations, represented by the Counter-Counterfeiting and Forgery Crimes Department, arrested 27 suspects for their involvement in tampering with the expiration dates of imported fish, as part of ongoing security efforts to combat commercial fraud and protect consumers.

The arrests followed intelligence reports and investigations that revealed the suspects had altered production and expiration dates on boxes of imported fish by printing labels with incorrect dates, aiming to extend the products’ shelf life and sell them to restaurants, companies, and retail stores.

Following authorization from the Public Prosecution, specialized teams moved to the Central Fish Market, where they arrested the suspects and seized 16 refrigerated transport vehicles containing 894 boxes of imported fish whose expiration dates had been tampered with, along with a computer used to prepare and print the counterfeit labels.

Upon interrogation, the suspects admitted to altering the expiration dates contrary to the truth, having enlisted the services of a printing company. Further investigations into the addresses of two other companies linked to the case revealed that they were merely registered addresses with no actual commercial activity.