As demand for olive oil outstrips supply, high prices have caused a boom in illegal activity in olive-growing regions.
A father and son duo were apprehended by Greek authorities outside the northern city of Thessaloniki recently, accused of peddling counterfeit sunflower oil labelled as olive oil.
Police uncovered some 13 tonnes of counterfeit oil, with the sunflower oil being purchased in nearby Bulgaria. The two men allegedly added colouring agents to the sunflower oil to try and pass it off as premium extra virgin olive oil instead, a common tactic of fraud within the industry.
A portion of the counterfeit products were sold in Bulgaria and the rest were distributed within Greece, police said.
