Coordinated searches have been carried out in Brazil, Belgium and Germany as part of an investigation into suspected customs fraud linked to gelatine imports, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said.
The probe, code-named “Gummy Bear”, is being led by EPPO prosecutors in Frankfurt and centres on allegations that raw materials imported from Brazil were undervalued by affiliated companies involved in producing gelatine products in Germany, according to the organisation.
A company based in the German state of Baden-Württemberg is suspected of importing collagen raw materials from a Brazilian subsidiary and processing them into gelatine supplied to manufacturers in the food, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, including for products such as fruit jellies and gummy bears, EPPO said.
Investigators allege that the Brazilian subsidiary invoiced the German company at a lower price used to calculate customs duties when the goods were imported, and later issued additional debit notes for the same products within the year without including them in the customs value, it added.
The suspected undervaluation may have led to underpaid customs duties, with estimated losses of about €285,000 between 2021 and 2023, EPPO said.
Searches in three countries
In Brazil, searches were carried out at the subsidiary’s premises in the greater São Paulo area with support from Brazil’s Federal Revenue Service, Federal Police and Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, according to EPPO.
In Germany, officers from the Stuttgart Customs Investigation Office searched the main company’s premises, a customs representative, a logistics centre and the homes of suspects, it said.
In Belgium, the Belgian Federal Judicial Police carried out a house search in the province of Flemish Brabant, EPPO added.
Electronic evidence, documents and a phone were seized during the searches, according to the organisation.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court, EPPO said.
