The Civil Guard of Sagunt (Valencia) has arrested a 54-year-old farmer for an alleged crime against intellectual property. The man was charged with producing and marketing Orri mandarins without a license.
The operation started in March when security agents detected a stall in the municipal foreign market of Sagunt that was selling Orri mandarins at a price that was well below the regulated price for its plantation, production, and marketing.
Authorities took samples of the citrus fruits and in their research discovered that the fruit had been purchased at the Mercovasa wholesale fruit and vegetable market in the Valencian town of Puig de Santa María.
Their investigation allowed them to locate the farmer who supplied this fruit. He owned a farm with more than 80 orange trees of the Orri variety and had sold more than 100 kilograms.
According to calculations by the Orri Running Committee, the profits from this sale would amount to 4,500 euro.
After verifying that he did not meet the requirements to market this citrus in Spain, the producer was arrested in May.
Source: europapress.es