Police officers from the Consumer Police Station (Decon) carried out Operation Fraud Zero this Wednesday (8), to prevent the sale of alcoholic beverages in clandestine warehouses. The inspection took place in the Água Santa neighborhood, in the north of the capital, following a complaint.
The owner was arrested red-handed. The action was supported by agents from the Carlos Éboli Criminalistics Institute.
The agents found that the place did not have authorization from the city of Rio, nor a license from the Health Surveillance to operate. The investigations showed that the drink labels were “made up” to get closer to the originals. The owner was charged with forgery of a seal or public sign, forgery, corruption or adulteration of substances or food products.
During the action, hundreds of liters of distilled beverages were seized and sent for technical expertise.
According to the Secretary of State for Consumer Protection, Gutemberg Fonseca, last year, more than 300 liters of products with signs of counterfeiting or contraband were seized in operations carried out in municipalities such as Rio das Ostras, Niterói and the south zone of the capital. Among the items collected were adulterated whiskeys and cachaça, which pose serious risks to public health.
