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(Luxembourg, 1 October 2024) – At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bologna (Italy), the Italian Financial Police (Nucleo di Polizia Economico Finanziaria - Guardia di Finanza) in Ferrara executed a freezing order of nearly €2.4 million from two companies involved in the import of stainless steel coils. The companies and their administrators are being investigated for evading customs duties and ideological forgery.
According to the evidence gathered in recent months during searches in Ferrara, Varese, Milan and La Spezia and through wiretapping, it is suspected that the two companies under investigation declared to the customs agency in Ferrara false information about the origin of their products for more than 110 imports. The three administrators allegedly certified that the steel originated from South Korea when, in reality, the product was of Chinese origin. By doing so, the companies benefited from customs duty exemptions on goods from South Korea, avoiding nearly €2,4 million (€2.394.869,75) in additional customs duties introduced by the EU’s 2019 anti-dumping regulation.
The investigative judge of the Ferrara Court, responding to the EPPO’s request, ordered the preventive seizure of nearly €2.4 million on the bank accounts of the companies, as well as some steel coils seized during earlier searches.
All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent Italian courts of law.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.