Muscat: The Consumer Protection Department in South Batinah Governorate in Barka recently conducted a successful operation and seized a group of expatriate workers involved in fraudulent activities at a commercial establishment in the Rumais area of Barka.
The workers were found to be manipulating the expiry dates of a food spice product and selling it with false expiration dates as part of the efforts by the Consumer Protection Authority (CPA) to address consumer complaints and seize prohibited goods that pose health and safety risks to the community.
During a raid on the store, the inspection and market control team discovered that the expatriate workers were placing false expiry dates on the spice products.
They were repackaging it in new bags and replacing the original expiration dates with new ones. Acting on a tip, law enforcement officers swiftly moved to the establishment and apprehended the violators.
Initially, when questioned, the violators denied the offense and claimed that they were repackaging the products due to the wear and tear of the previous bags.
However, when presented with evidence, they eventually confessed to the offense. All the seized items were confiscated and will be destroyed.
Additionally, violators will face legal action besides a fine of RO2,000. Such practices are explicitly prohibited under Article 7 of the Consumer Protection Law, which prohibits trading counterfeit, corrupt, counterfeit, or unauthorized goods, as well as advertising them.
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