Arrests for showing tangerines with pesticides, farmer's father speaks out: My son is innocent, we didn't know 'Phosmet' was not allowed by the EU! Everyone uses it

Hekuran Tafa, the father of farmer Elton Tafa, arrested this morning (February 26) along with two other citizens, declares that his son is innocent.

Shocked by the news of his son's arrest, Hekuan Tafa is appealing to the state to do justice. He told News24 that his son has not taken back the tangerine product returned from Croatia, adding that he has received a fine from the AKU and has been told that the product will be buried.

Regarding the pesticide "phosmet" that was reportedly found in tangerines, Hekuran Tafa claims that we are no longer dealing with anything poisonous since the tangerines have eaten all of them as a family.

Stating that none of the farmers knew that this pesticide was not allowed by the EU, off camera Hekuran Tafa states that all farmers use this pesticide.

By order of the Prosecutor's Office in Berat, three people have been arrested in connection with the export of mandarins with a high pesticide content, where a quantity of 10 tons was returned from Croatia.

Arben Aqif Dyli, Elton Hekuran Tafa and Elson Petrit Tahiraj have been placed in handcuffs.

According to the Prosecution, Elton Tafa (farmer) sold Arben Dyl (collection point administrator) a quantity of about 10 tons of mandarins which he exported to Croatia.

Croatian authorities conducted the necessary analyses, which revealed that the quantity of mandarins had a high content of the pesticide "Phosmet", a pesticide that is harmful to health and prohibited for use.

Under these conditions, the shipment of mandarins was returned to its country of origin, where it turns out that it was withdrawn by citizen Arben Dyli and then it is suspected that it was put back on the market without being destroyed according to the relevant procedure.

It is also suspected that Elson Tahiraj, an inspector at the Regional Directorate of Veterinary and Plant Protection, abused his position by issuing fictitious phytosanitary certificates for various entities, including the entity of citizen Arben Dyli.

The Berat Prosecution Office has detained three people after they are accused of the criminal offenses The Economic-Financial Crime Investigation Section, in cooperation with the Prosecution Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction in Berat, after several months of investigations conducted within the framework of Criminal Proceedings no. 768 of 2024, registered for the criminal offenses "Violation of rules on poisonous substances", "Production and sale of food and other substances dangerous to human health or life", "Fraud with food products" and "Abuse of duty", provided for by articles 281, 288, 288/c and 248 of the Criminal Code, has detained the following citizens:

The detention of these citizens was carried out after the investigative actions so far suspected that citizen Elton Tafa, a farmer by profession, sold to citizen Arben Dyli (administrator of the collection point) a quantity of about 10 tons of mandarins which the subject of citizen Arben Dyli then exported to Croatia. The necessary analyses were carried out by the Croatian authorities, which resulted in the quantity of mandarins having a high content of the pesticide "Fosmet", a pesticide that is harmful to health and prohibited for use. Under these conditions, the load of mandarins was returned to the country of origin where it turns out that it was withdrawn by citizen Arben Dyli and then it is suspected that it was put back on the market without being destroyed according to the relevant procedure.

It is also suspected that citizen Elson Tahiraj, with the duty of inspector at the Regional Directorate of Veterinary and Plant Protection, has abused his duty by issuing fictitious phytosanitary certificates for various entities, including the entity of citizen Arben Dyli.

The materials were passed to the Prosecutor's Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction in Berat for further investigative actions.

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