- The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) conducted an on-site investigation into a criminal organization suspected of VAT fraud worth 40 million euros with tires.
- The Italian financial police carried out the investigations, arrests, and seizures.
- Two individuals were arrested, two were placed under house arrest, and one suspect is not allowed to leave the municipality.
- The Court in Foggia ordered the freezing of nearly 40 million euros and the financial police seized 47 bank accounts, 11 properties, four cars, and 56,000 euros in cryptocurrencies.
- The cybercrime unit of the French judicial police closed several websites to prevent further suspicious commercial activity.
- The EPPO is targeting a criminal organization involved in online tire sales using the drop-shipping model.
- The suspects created a network of virtual companies in different EU member states to benefit from EU rules on cross-border transactions.
- It is alleged that the companies operated in Italy and produced fake invoices and accounting documents to pretend they were based abroad.
- The investigation reveals that the commercial transactions were conducted without collecting or refunding VAT in any EU member state, resulting in a loss of nearly 40 million euros in VAT.
- All individuals involved are considered innocent until proven guilty in Italian courts.
Source: taxheaven.gr
Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.
