On 29 and 30 September 2021, the EPPO conducted searches of 6 premises in Vienna and other locations across Austria, and also took a number of witness statements. This formed part of a cross-border investigation into customs fraud, relating to the importation of FFP2 masks from China to the EU.

Copyright: Guardia di Finanza At the request of the EPPO, the Guardia di Finanza of Ravenna (Italy) have seized more than €11 million from the director of two Italian companies for smuggling personal protective equipment and against the l

Since the EPPO started its operations on 1 June 2021, it has registered more than 1700 crime reports from participating EU Member States and private parties. 300 investigations have been opened, with some crime reports still under evaluation. The damage to the EU budget that is estimated to have occurred as a result of the activities currently under investigation is almost €4.5 billion.