- Spain arrests 30 in a €17 million VAT fraud case involving luxury cars
- European Public Prosecutor’s Office led the investigation in Madrid
- Criminal network sold luxury cars in Spain while avoiding VAT
- Law enforcement seized 34 properties, 20 luxury cars, jewellery, high-end watches, and over €300,000 in cash
- 200 bank accounts blocked across Germany, Lithuania, Portugal, and Spain
- 17 searches conducted in Spain and Germany targeting suspects’ homes and car dealerships
- Suspected criminal leader arrested in Germany, linked to drug trafficking and tax fraud in Spain
- Criminal operations managed from Germany, directing car deliveries to Spanish dealerships
- Organisation also involved in creating shell companies to commit tax fraud and launder money
- Vulnerable individuals used as fronts for these shell companies
- Spanish and German authorities supported the investigation
- All accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in Spanish courts
- EPPO functions as the EU’s independent public prosecution office handling crimes against EU financial interests
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.
