- EPPO carried out searches and arrested four suspects in western France in a probe into a €60 million VAT fraud
- More than €12.5 million in assets were seized in France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the UK
- The investigation was based on a report from the French general-directorate for customs and excises
- Suspects allegedly set up a VAT fraud scheme involving false documents and shell companies
- False documents were used to give the appearance of goods being exported without actual transactions
- VAT reimbursements were transferred to bank accounts in various countries under false identities
- Suspects are alleged to have defrauded around €60 million in VAT reimbursements since 2020
- One person is subject to restrictive measures and an obligation to pay bail
- All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in French courts
- EPPO is responsible for investigating and prosecuting crimes against the financial interests of the EU
Source: eppo.europa.eu
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.
