Att. Carlos Carrasco Yépez
On January 28, 2022, in the city of Guayaquil, a control and prevention operation of products for human use and consumption was carried out, in which efforts were channeled to seize counterfeit products.
In this operation, there was a joint effort of the Criminal Department of Meythaler & Zambrano Abogados with several State institutions, such as the Prosecutor's Office of Guayas, Judicial Police, Criminalistics and staff of the Municipality of Guayaquil, who contributed effectively to operate in the commercial stores "Fórmula Vegetal" and "Manantial de Vida", located in the sectors of La Florida and Bastión Popular, respectively.
Several suspicious products were confiscated from the counters and warehouses of these two establishments to prevent illicit trade. Many of these products had no sanitary registration or commercial license. In thi sense, administrative sanctioning procedures were initiated against the owners of these two establishments.
During the operation, it was determined that the owners of these stores have a commercial relationship with the clandestine laboratory raided in Cuenca in May 2021, for which the owner and the representative of the business were arrested.
According to the specialized Judicial Police, this hit to crime prevents for the moment that these products have space in the market. However, new controls will be carried out to prevent these products from returning to the shelves of small and medium traders and protect the health and integrity of consumers.
Article 217.1 of the Ecuadorian Penal Code states that whoever produces, manufactures, markets, distributes, imports, stores, or dispenses counterfeit or adulterated medicines, medical devices, and products for human use and consumption shall be punished with imprisonment of five (05) to seven (07) years, full reparation and a fine.
