The Civil Guard, acting in cooperation with the Polish Central Bureau of Investigation (PCBI), arrested seven Polish nationals on Gran Canaria as part of a large-scale operation aimed at defrauding more than 27 million euros in VAT. The arrests mark a decisive step in a multinational effort to dismantle a sophisticated fraud scheme that exploited cross-border business structures and a web of interconnected entities.
The detainees were identified through a criminal procedure led by the Organized Crime and Corruption Department of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Szczecin. The case involves a tightly knit network whose members used forged documents and a constellation of front companies to simulate legitimate activity and inflate VAT obligations in order to siphon funds into illicit channels.
What investigators unearthed points to a well-orchestrated operation. The group relied on a steady stream of invoices and accounting records that bore little to no genuine economic activity. The tactic allowed the organization to move large sums of money while remaining under the radar of tax authorities and financial watchdogs. The breadth of the scheme became apparent as authorities traced uneven cash flows, inconsistent commercial documentation, and the movement of funds through multiple jurisdictions.
According to authorities, this operation stands as one of the most significant economic crime investigations conducted by the PCBI to date. The ongoing inquiry has already led to the review of more than 180 real and corporate entities, with investigators assessing their possible involvement in fraud, membership in a criminal organization, and money laundering activities. The scale of the case underscores how cross-border crime can exploit porous regulatory environments and international financial channels to disguise illicit gains.
Leaders of the network, based in Gran Canaria, are believed to have coordinated activities in a way that sought to obscure the group’s true nature from local authorities. The strategy involved simultaneous actions across jurisdictions, reflecting a high level of coordination between Spain, Poland, and their law enforcement partners. In Spain, four searches were conducted, and seven individuals were detained. In Poland, authorities reported ten searches and three arrests to date as part of the wider operation. The joint effort demonstrates the effectiveness of cross-border cooperation in tackling complex fraud schemes that rely on multi-country infrastructures.
The phase conducted in Spain enabled the seizure of key evidentiary materials, including cash, notarial, banking, and corporate documents. Investigators also recovered three cryptocurrency wallets and a large amount of digital devices such as computers and mobile phones, all of which are expected to yield critical insights into the flow of money and the mechanisms used to launder profits. The confiscated items constitute a substantial evidence base that will support court proceedings and further prosecutorial actions.
Given the complexity of the case and the simultaneous nature of the actions, the investigation required the direct involvement of more than 80 agencies across various specialties within the Civil Guard, along with participating international organizations. This level of collaboration highlights the necessity of integrated law enforcement responses when dealing with transnational economic crimes that leverage global networks and modern financial instruments.
In its follow-up efforts, the Civil Guard Information Center (UCE-3) and the Las Palmas Command Information Group, working in concert with EUROJUST and the Las Palmas International Cooperation Prosecutor’s Office, located the suspects. The detainees were placed at the disposal of the National Supreme Court to initiate the appropriate delivery procedure to the Polish judicial authorities, signaling the next phase of judicial coordination and testimony collection across borders.