Italian police believe that fake organic food seized last week were taken into Europe through Malta Customs.
Italian news agency Ansa reported that the Italian police seized over 1,500 tonnes of fake organic foodstuffs in a number of regions as part of a probe in which 23 people are under investigation.
Most of the seized food was soya, corn and wheat from Ukraine that was certified as being organic but actually had a high content of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The police also confiscated 30 tonnes of Indian soya contaminated with pesticides.
Investigators suspect that an Italian company brought the goods into Europe through customs in Malta before transferring them to Italy.
They believe around 10 companies were involved in the scam, including firms from Moldavia and Ukraine, in addition to bodies involved in the certification of organic goods in the Marche town of Fano and the Sardinian city of Sassari.