European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO)

Five individuals were convicted for organised VAT fraud this week in Munich 🇩🇪 following an EPPO investigation into a €14 million VAT carousel scheme involving Covid-19 tests. The defendants, who operated across Germany, Italy, and Spain, all received multi-year prison sentences. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eYu7K65w

The European Chief Prosecutor participated this week in the EPAC/EACN 23rd Plenary Meeting in Romania and engaged with students and professionals at Iasi University’s Law School. Discussions focused on the critical role of awareness and effective cooperation in combating corruption, illicit money flows, and organised crime.    We can also announce two new partnerships with the National Anticorruption Center of Moldova and the General Prosecutor's Office of the Principality of Andorra, marking an important step in strengthening cross-border efforts against serious financial crimes.  

EPPO and European Parliament sign a working arrangement to establish the modalities of cooperation. More info: https://lnkd.in/egmWb7GU

The EPPO in Cluj-Napoca 🇷🇴 is conducting 31 searches today in several locations as part of a probe into possible fraud involving works on Zalău city’s ring road, financed with €37 million in EU funds. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e5FV8mbY

🚨 Admiral 2.0: EPPO uncovered another criminal syndicate suspected of complex VAT fraud scheme involving the trade of popular electronic goods and creating an estimated VAT loss of €297 million. All the details: https://lnkd.in/eVgZ_wDQ Investigation Admiral 2.0 centres on a criminal syndicate based in the Baltics, using the same modus operandi and much of the same infrastructure as the suspects in the original Admiral case, which concerned VAT fraud estimated to have caused €2.9 billion in damage. The fraudulent scheme was also used for laundering proceeds from drug trafficking, cybercrime, investment fraud. There are suspected links to Russian organised crime. The scheme allegedly involved over 400 companies, which traded electronic devices worth over €1.48 billion. Big thanks to all partners and national authorities providing support! Europol Eurojust Bundesministerium für Finanzen FOD Financiën - SPF Finances Policie České republiky Maksu- ja Tolliamet / Estonian Tax and Customs Board Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI) Bundesministerium der Finanzen Belastingdienst Valsts policija Finansinių nusikaltimų tyrimo tarnyba (FNTT) Cellule de Renseignement Financier (CRF) AT - Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira

Nine searches are being carried out in Mureș County 🇷🇴 today against four individuals suspected of orchestrating a €140 000 subsidy fraud involving beekeeping. A beekeeper allegedly colluded with three more persons to apply for a subsidy in their name, as they met the eligibility criteria for the funding. The project was financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and was intended to support young farmers. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eQumxrCT

Two suspects were arrested in Frankfurt am Main 🇩🇪 and Rome 🇮🇹 as part of an EPPO investigation into a €19 million VAT carousel fraud involving VoIP. The suspects allegedly played the role of strawmen for a German buffer company to hide the fraudulent activities from the authorities. The Leipzig Tax Investigation Office (Steuerfahndung Leipzig) and the Italian Financial Police in Rome (Guardia di Finanza) assisted us to carry out the arrests. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gbUKWKQY

A company manager in 🇧🇬 was indicted for attempted fraud in a €1.92 million project to support entrepreneurs in Republic of Congo. He allegedly misreported Chinese equipment as Bulgarian to be eligible to receive funding under the project, financed by the European Development Fund (EDP). If proven guilty, the defendant faces one to six years of imprisonment and a fine of €1000 to €5000. The case was first brought to the EPPO’s attention by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). Read more: https://lnkd.in/epmJDHsq

Ten searches were carried out in 🇧🇬 this week in an investigation into subsidy fraud related to the restoration of a church. It is understood that a company lacking the necessary expertise won a public procurement procedure in 2017 for a total of €198 000 and went on to subcontract the works to another company, which similarly lacked expertise, and subcontracted them to a third company. The original contractor allegedly kept €128 000 without actually carrying out any works, thus damaging the EU’s budget, as the project was funded by the EU’s INTERREG IPA Cross Border Cooperation Programme. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ec-9esRN

Two individuals were convicted in 🇩🇪 yesterday, 20 November, following an EPPO investigation into a €3.7 million VAT carousel fraud involving electronic goods. The Landshut Regional Court sentenced one of them to three years of imprisonment, and the other one to one a half years, suspended. The defendants were apprehended last year in Slovenia and Czechia. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eRDGExNV