Contaminated clam operation netting millions uncovered in northern Spain

THE Guardia Civil has uncovered an international network making millions every year out of bringing contaminated Japanese clams into Spain from Portugal.

Acting under the coordination of Europol, the Guardia’s Operation Txuspas led to the seizure of 38.5 tonnes of dodgy clams, €80,000 in cash, and the arrest or investigation into of 39 Spaniards and four Portuguese nationals.

Investigators also discovered a clandestine clam nursery, where the clams from Portugal were kept.

The Guardia’s SEPRONA Nature Protection Service first launched the investigation last year after 17 reported cases of food poisoning in diners who had eaten in various restaurants in Cantabria and Asturias.

It became clear there was an organised gang dedicated to illegally fishing for the clams in Portugal, which they then sold to Spanish hatcheries. They used two entry routes into Spain to get the clams to end destinations in Huelva and Cantabria.

After a quick purification treatment via the circulation of clean water, which the Guardia made clear was not sufficient for complete purification, the clams were put on the market through links with traders.

The investigations also revealed the individuals responsible for the hatcheries mixed the “intoxicated” clams with ones acquired legally and used false documents from Portuguese estuaries to make it difficult to trace their origin.

Although the companies under investigation concentrated their activities in Spain all the suspect shellfish came from the Portuguese coast, hence the investigators’ worked alongside the neighbouring country’s ASAE Food Safety Authority, which in October frustrated the criminal organisation’s attempt to get 2.5 tonnes of clams into Spain.

The Guardia revealed that most of the individuals who had collected the seized clams were Eastern Europeans with very little money. The main players and those responsible for transporting the catches were detained in Spain and Portugal.

Sales of the contaminated clams were detected in shops and restaurants specialising in seafood, who were not aware of the real origin.

Investigators estimate the organisation made annual profits of more than €9 million. They put the amount of illegal Japanese clams received by the 11 Spanish companies under investigation at in excess of 1,000 tonnes.

Author badge placeholder
Written by

Cathy Elelman

Cathy Elelman is the local writer for the Costa de Almeria edition of the Euro Weekly News.

Based in Mojacar for the last 21 years, Cathy is very much part of the local community and is always well and truly up on all the latest news and events going on in this region of Spain.

Her top goals are to do the best job she can informing the local English-speaking community, visitors to the area and the wider world about about the news in Almeria, to learn something new every day, and to embrace very new challenge this fast-changing world brings her way.

Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews

Comments