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05/08/2026   European Public Prosecutor's Office News

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Investigation ‘Gummy Bear’: Searches carried out in Brazil, Belgium and Germany in probe into customs fraud involving gelatine imports (Luxembourg, 5 August 2026) – In an investigation into a suspected customs evasion scheme involving gelatine imports between affiliated companies, led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Frankfurt (Germany), coordinated searches were carried out in Brazil, Belgium and Germany. The investigation, code-named ‘Gummy Bear’, concerns the alleged undervaluation of raw materials imported from Brazil by affiliated companies for the production of gelatine products in Germany, which may have resulted in the underpayment of customs duties. The main company, based in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg (Germany), imports collagen raw materials from a subsidiary in Brazil and processes them into gelatine supplied to manufacturers across the food, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries for the production of consumer products, including fruit jellies and gummy bears. According to the investigation, the subsidiary company invoiced the main company with a lower price, which served as the basis for the calculation of the customs duties, at the time of the importation. Then, within the year, the subsidiary company submitted additional debit notes for the same products, without integrating them in the customs value, as required by the applicable laws. As a result, the main company may have paid less customs duties than was legally due. It is estimated that the undervaluation of the products resulted in customs duty losses totalling approximately €285 000 over the period between 2021–2023.   more

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