A routine inspection led to the seizure of over 1.3 tons of fish that displayed signs of forgery and sanitary irregularities on Tuesday afternoon, October 10, on the BR-163 in Nova Alvorada do Sul, Mato Grosso do Sul (MS). Inspection seals that were found to be inconsistent, along with spelling errors in Portuguese, pointed to fraudulent activity surrounding the shipment. The irregularities raised serious concerns regarding health and safety standards related to food products in the region.

The operation was conducted by the Federal Highway Police (PRF), in collaboration with the State Agency for Animal and Plant Sanitary Defense (Iagro) and the Specialized Police Department for the Repression of Crimes Against Consumer Relations (Decon). Authorities documented the seizure, and the case has been registered by the Civil Police as a crime against consumer relations. This highlights the ongoing issues within commodity transportation and the importance of vigilant enforcement to safeguard public health.

The driver of the van, a 26-year-old resident of Maringá, Paraná, was apprehended on the scene while transporting the fish along with three invoices that inaccurately indicated a total weight of 2,005 kilograms, significantly less than the actual weight seized. This incident underscores the critical need for stringent inspections in the transportation of perishable goods and raises questions about the regulatory measures in place to prevent such fraud in the food supply chain.