Yesterday, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Munich and Cologne (Germany) moved against a suspected criminal organisation, believed to have orchestrated a massive €195 million VAT fraud through the sale of smartphones, small electronic devices and protective face masks.

(Luxembourg, 27 February 2024) – In the context of a large-scale investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Palermo (Italy), several searches, arrests and seizures took place between Saturday and Monday, in a probe into an alleged criminal association suspected of aggravated VAT fraud involving beverages and EU funding fraud.

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Milan (Italy), five individuals were arrested on 23 February, on suspicion of orchestrating a €220 million VAT fraud involving alcohol exports to several Member States.A freezing order was also executed at the EPPO’s request by the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) of Milan, targeting bank accounts, real estate and luxury cars.

This week, the College of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) requested an increase to the EPPO’s budget for 2024 from the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission. This is an urgent request, motivated by the impending accession of new Member States (Poland and possibly Sweden) to the EPPO, as well as the acceleration of the disbursement of NextGenerationEU funding.

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Palermo (Italy), over €760 000 in assets have been seized, in an investigation into fraud involving EU agricultural funding aimed at building and modernising olive oil mills.

Over 80 searches were conducted yesterday and three suspects were arrested, in a probe into an alleged criminal organisation suspected of a multimillion VAT fraud involving car sales, led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Cologne and Munich (Germany). 

In a probe led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Prague (Czechia), 36 searches were conducted today and ten suspects were arrested, on suspicion of corruption involving public contracts to provide medical supplies to hospitals.

Last week, at the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Vilnius (Lithuania), 15 searches were carried out in several locations, as part of an investigation into the misappropriation of funds from the BaltCap Infrastructure Fund.

Today, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Zagreb (Croatia) is conducting urgent searches and investigation measures, as part of the investigation into suspected subsidy fraud and corruption at the Faculty of Geodesy of the University of Zagreb.

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Turin (Italy), searches were conducted yesterday in several locations and four suspects were arrested, in an investigation into a €10 million VAT carousel fraud involving tyres.