Representatives of Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia detained head of Batono LLC on the fact of manufacturing and selling counterfeited products hazardous to human life and health.

Investigation determined that the accused person, in 2025, under a contract concluded as a result of a state tender, supplied 24 177.3 kilograms of canned fish having value of GEL 380 792 to the Border Police and „State Food Supply“ LLC. Abovementioned products were intended for feeding employees of Ministries of Internal Affairs and Defense of Georgia.

As a result of investigative activities, including a search of the enterprise, 17 241 units of counterfeited canned fish were seized. It was also determined, that conditions for manufacturing products and storing raw materials critically failed to comply with food safety requirements.

According to the conclusions of the chemical and microbiological examinations conducted on the seized products, can does not comply with microbiological standards and is unfit for consumption. In certain cases, it was not possible to conduct the examination because products posed a threat to the life and health of the expert due to their high level of toxicity.

In addition, it was determined that contents of the canned product, in terms of the mass fraction of fish meat and its energy value, do not correspond to the information indicated on the label.

Investigation is underway under the third part of the Article 197 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which as a type of sentence, envisages imprisonment from five to nine years.

Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia continues active investigative activities to identify and seize products that pose a threat to life and health.