Muscat – The Consumer Protection Authority (CPA) has seized more than 17,000 expired and tampered products, including cosmetics and skincare items, during a major crackdown on commercial fraud in Muscat.

The operation, carried out by the CPA’s Department of Commercial Fraud Control, uncovered large quantities of expired products that had allegedly been altered and reintroduced into the market.

According to the authority, judicial enforcement officers found that the original expiry dates on thousands of cosmetic and skincare products had been scratched off or removed and replaced with new labels falsely indicating the products were still fit for sale and use.

Official seizure reports documented 15,753 products with tampered expiry dates and 1,483 expired products being offered for sale, bringing the total number of seized items to 17,236.

All products were confiscated, while the Public Prosecution ordered the closure of the commercial establishment. Legal proceedings against those responsible are under way.

The CPA said the action forms part of its ongoing efforts to combat commercial fraud and protect consumers from unsafe products.

It urged suppliers and retailers to comply fully with laws governing the sale and distribution of consumer goods, stressing that tampering with expiry dates poses a direct risk to public health and undermines consumer confidence in the market.