The European Public Prosecutor’s Office took down a criminal organization committed to crime. VAT fraud on electronic products The operation, to which the fraud of 2 billion 200 million euros is attributed, carried out in coordination with 14 countries and registered a company in Barcelona and two addresses and a law office in Marbella.
In the statement made by the General Directorate of Civil Guards, in the ADMİRAL operation coordinated by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, Largest VAT fraud ever investigated in the EUthrough a complex network of 9,000 legal entities and more than 600 individuals in different countries.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office coordinated the operation in simultaneous cooperation. Belgium, Cyprus, Slovakia, Spain, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Romaniacountries where a large number of searches are made at companies and homes.
Specifically, in Spain, the actions were carried out by different specialized units of the Civil Guard. Malaga and Barcelona.
they did total four logins and registrations at a company in Barcelona and two addresses and a law firm Marbella (Málaga), where two high-end vehicles and various commercial documents were tampered with.
The investigation arose after the Portuguese Tax Authorities in Coimbra in April 2021 identified suspicions of VAT fraud from a selling company. mobile phones, tablets, headphones and other electronic devices.
Following the European Prosecutor’s Office to become operational in June 2021 and new legal frameworkPortugal took over the investigation.
Through international cooperation, European Prosecutors, European Competent Prosecutors, financial fraud analysts of the European Prosecutor’s Office and Europolgradually established links between the company initially researched in Portugal, with about 9,000 other legal entities and more than 600 natural persons in different countries, as well as with the relevant national authorities.
Eighteen months after receiving the first report, EPPO The largest VAT carousel fraud ever investigated in the EU.
Criminal activities under investigation, as well as 22 Member States recognizing the jurisdiction of the European Prosecutor’s Office. Hungary, Ireland, Poland and Sweden, Third countries such as Albania, China, Mauritius, Serbia, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
The conspiracy consisted of a complex network of other companies acting as electronic device suppliers and seeking VAT refunds from national tax authorities. after devices are sold to individuals through e-commerce platforms.
later on, He channeled the profits from these sales abroad (trout companies or lost traders) before they disperse.
These events could not have taken place without the participation of various professional groups. highly skilled organized crimeeach performs specific functions that will allow them to avoid detection on the network for years.
According to data from Europol, VAT carousel fraud or lost operators intra-community fraud (MTIC) is the crime that provides the most benefit to organized crime in the EU at an approximate cost. 50,000 million euros per year for Member States.
Since this type of fraud is by definition a cross-border crime, complexity level It is almost impossible to detect when compared to those studied in the ADMIRAL operation.
The action of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office made it possible to investigate this organization globally across Europe. national and European tools and databases and with the support of Europol and the different national authorities concerned, as well as the analytical and investigative capacity of the Central Office of the Prosecutor’s Office in question.