Fourteen people have been arrested in Spain after Spanish and French police, with the help of Europol, dismantled an organised crime group involved in the production and sale of pistachio nuts that did not meet the required ecological standards.
The operation began in 2019 after reports of ecological certifications being misused on pistachios that did not adhere to set agricultural standards.
Pesticides such as glyphosate and chlorate, which are illegal in Spain, had been detected by Spanish police on organic and non-organic pistachios.
The investigation found that the illegal pesticides were being used to better the quality and quantity of the harvests and increase the monetary value of the production.
The so-called organic the nuts were being sold for up to 80% over the retail price of non-organic pistachios.
The nuts from the main Spanish distributor were also being sold in France under false organic certifications.
Those arrested were accused of fraud against public health, money laundering, falsification of documents and crime related to market and consumers.
It is estimated that these individuals made a profit of €6 milion.
