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At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Madrid (Spain), 13 searches were conducted and 24 people were arrested this week, in a probe into a €25 million VAT fraud by an organised crime group with a reach extending to Latin America.

The searches were carried out on 21 November in the Spanish cities of Madrid, Guadalajara and Cádiz, and involved Spain’s National Police (Policía Nacional), the Spanish Customs Office (Vigilancia Aduanera) and the Fraud Investigation Office of the Spanish Tax Agency (ONIF).
As a result, a large number of documents, electronic devices, IT equipment, high-value items, vehicles and €135 000 in cash were (1 p.) . Bank accounts have been (1 p.) in Spain, as well as in Belgium, Lithuania and Romania. Real estate properties have also been seized all over Spain. (1 p.) orders and other investigation measures have also been issued In Latin America.

This complex investigation, which was carried out over a period of two years, has revealed a (1 p.) VAT fraud involving the trade of IT equipment, with estimated losses to the EU and national budgets of more than €25 million.

It is understood that, between 2021 and 2023, the suspects under investigation created a structure, using a maze of companies based in Spain, in other EU Member States and in Latin America, in order to (1 p.) intra-community acquisitions into the suspects’ primary company, which acted as the distribution point. The (1 p.) scheme took advantage of EU rules on cross-border transactions between its Member States, as these are (1 p.) from value-added tax, by using a chain of missing traders, which would vanish without (1 p.) their tax obligations. Other companies in the fraudulent chain would subsequently claim undue VAT (1 p.) from the national tax authorities.

Since no VAT was paid on the goods at any stage of their commercialisation, the main company was able to distribute them at prices well below their market price, placing it in a highly privileged position and boosting its sales, while (1 p.) its competitors from the market.

According to the investigation, the corporate structure, which was officially managed by straw men, channelled large sums of (1 p.) profits into the acquisition of real estate. The evidence also shows that the suspects used structures and security (1 p.) specific to organised crime groups, including electronic communication applications used to prevent detection by the police.

The parties under investigation are suspected of having committed three crimes against the public finances as part of an organised crime group, as well as offences of money (1 p.) and forgery.

The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and (1 p.) to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.

Source: https://www.eppo.europa.eu/en/media/news/spain-eppo-raids-criminal-organisation-reaching-to-latin-america-probe-eu25-million-vat#:~:text=Seizure%20orders%20and%20other%20investigation,more%20than%20%E2%82%AC25%20million.