Italy: EPPO seizes €5 million worth of steel products in customs fraud investigation

(Luxembourg, 12 November 2026) – At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Naples (Italy), steel products worth over €5 million were seized at the port of Naples, in an investigation into suspected customs fraud involving imports from Türkiye.

A total of 454 packages of steel products were seized by the Economic and Financial Police Unit in Naples (Nucleo di Polizia Economico-Finanziaria di Napoli) and the Anti-Fraud Office of the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) in Campania (Direzione Territoriale Campania – Ufficio Antifrode). House searches and searches at the premises of companies involved in the import operations were also carried out, and electronic devices were seized.

The investigation was opened following a report by the Naples office of the ADM concerning two imports of steel products carried out in July 2026 by an Italian company operating in the metalworking sector.

The steel products originated in Türkiye and were exported by a company based in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to the Italian importer, which had appointed a customs representative to prepare and submit the import declarations on its behalf.

According to the investigation, the goods were declared as zinc-coated steel products, a classification that would have exempted them from additional duties on certain steel imports into the EU. However, a physical examination and laboratory analyses revealed that the products did not match the declared classification and were therefore not eligible for the exemption.

It is understood that the customs classification used for the imports was intended to circumvent the applicable additional duties and the related VAT, causing an estimated loss of approximately €3.5 million to the EU and national budgets.

The investigation is ongoing. 

All persons concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the competent Italian courts.

The 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.