MPRJ targets sale of counterfeit supplements online The dietary supplements sold by the group investigated by the Public Ministry for selling counterfeit products were sold for almost R$200 less than the original items. An operation against the gang was carried out this Wednesday (17). According to the complaint filed by CyberGAECO, the difference reached more than R$170 in some products. According to the document, the suspects used e-commerce platforms to advertise supplements from well-known brands, with photos similar to those of the original products and prices considered attractive to consumers. The complaint states that the scheme was based precisely on offering products at prices significantly lower than those practiced on the market. According to the Public Ministry, after purchasing, consumers received items that were different from those advertised or products that did not correspond to the originals. 🟩Bom Dia Rio is on GloboPop, Globo's new vertical short video app, available for free on your cell phone. On the app, you can follow the Bom Dia Rio stage so you don't miss any episode. Download GloboPop. The document reports that the suspicions gained strength from complaints made by customers on the sales platforms themselves and also with manufacturers. Prosecutors went out to execute 14 search and seizure warrants in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, in the Southwest Zone of Rio; in Duque de Caxias, in Baixada Fluminense; in Mangaratiba, on Costa Verde; and in the municipalities of São Pedro da Aldeia and Cabo Frio, in the Lagos Region. "The substances inserted there are the most varied. Gypsum mixed with creatine has already been identified", said prosecutor Tatiana Kaziris. Gang is being investigated for manufacturing and selling counterfeit food supplements and products for therapeutic purposes Reproduction The falsification was often gross: supplement packaging did not have a batch number or even an expiration date. Some capsules had different colors and sizes than the originals, with no guarantee of what exactly was inside them. 📱Download the g1 app to see news from RJ in real time and for free Four years of scheme The group has been acting since at least 2022. The investigations began with consumer complaints to brands and online stores. The companies realized that the products with problems came from the same address, in Duque de Caxias, almost always sent by the same sellers. According to the MPRJ, sellers took advantage of the credibility of large marketplaces to increase sales of counterfeit items, causing losses to thousands of consumers and damaging the reputation of the companies involved. The platforms collaborated with the investigations, providing information that helped identify the members of the scheme. In total, 14 people were reported by the Cybercrime Combat Unit of the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (CyberGaeco/MPRJ). In the 1st phase of the investigation, in February 2024, a Civil Police action located a clandestine laboratory used to manufacture adulterated products. The agents also found a warehouse with a large quantity of supplements and pharmaceutical products, hundreds of orders ready for shipping and thousands of labels, indicating the organization's large-scale operations. In addition to the losses, the Public Prosecutor's Office warns of the risks to consumers' health, as the products contained substances different from those reported on the labels. Those charged will be responsible for the crimes of criminal association, embezzlement and counterfeiting of products.