News

Today, the pre-trial judge at the Tribunal of Palermo issued 10 convictions concerning a tobacco smuggling investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Palermo. This is the first verdict in an EPPO case in Italy in abbreviated proceedings.

Following an operation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) on December 7, five individuals have been indicted of tax fraud and money laundering, for participation in a suspected VAT fraud scheme concerning fuels imported from Spain and sold in Portugal, with estimated damages of more than €26 million.

Today, in accordance with the procedures laid down by Union law, the European Chief Prosecutor requested the lifting of immunity of Ms Eva Kaili, Member of the European Parliament, and Ms Maria Spyraki, Member of the European Parliament. 

In a complex anti-fraud operation concerning the parallel import of cars, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), in cooperation with the Civitavecchia Customs Office, on Monday seized 28 new electric vehicles by a well-known car manufacturer at the Port of Rome (Italy).

Last week, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) exposed what is believed to be the biggest VAT fraud ever investigated in the EU. With the help of Europol and more than 30 national law enforcement partners, the EPPO was able to connect the dots between a company in Portugal and close to 90

In November 2021, six people were arrested in Czechia, Romania and Slovakia on suspicion of forming a criminal organisation and evading taxes. So far, five of the suspects have already been convicted, and recently, the fourth and fifth suspects were sentenced to over three years of imprisonment, with the court ordering confiscations of over €10 000 for each convict.

In an investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), the Tax Authority in Portugal yesterday executed 21 searches ordered by a judge in the cities of Aveiro, Porto and Lisbon, and arrested three suspects, in an operation code-named ‘Gasosa’.

An investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Munich has led to the discovery of a VAT carousel fraud scheme involving 21 suspects, with activities in Germany, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and the UK. Two of the suspects, who were responsible for organising the paperwork of the criminal activity, are based in Romania and one of them was arrested yesterday. Searches were simultaneously carried out and data, e-mails, chats and paperwork were successfully collected. 

On 30 November 2022, in an investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), police in Czechia – the Regional Directorate of the Olomouc Region – carried out 15 home searches and searches of non-residential premises, on suspicion of criminal offences against the EU’s financial interests, including subsidy fraud and illegal advantage in public procurement.