Bulgaria Among Countries Targeted in Major European VAT Fraud Operation

A large-scale European investigation into a VAT fraud network has led to the detention of 43 individuals and the seizure of 520 million euros, the European Prosecutor's Office and Italian authorities announced today. The operation is focused on criminal activities involving VAT fraud through money laundering and mafia connections.

The investigation centers around the trade of IT products and electronic devices within the EU, affecting approximately 400 companies and implicating around 200 suspects across several countries, including Italy, the USA, the UAE, and other European nations.

European prosecutors revealed that the detained individuals face accusations of aiding the Neapolitan Camorra and the Sicilian Cosa Nostra mafias by funneling funds through VAT fraud schemes.

Laura Kövesi, the head of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, highlighted the significant threat posed by organized criminal groups involved in fraud against the EU budget. She emphasized that this case marks a major breakthrough in uncovering such networks, stressing that the distinction between violent criminals involved in human and drug trafficking and so-called "white-collar criminals" who engage in corruption and money laundering is increasingly blurred.

The crackdown saw arrests in countries such as the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Spain, and Bulgaria, with more than 160 searches conducted in Italy. Additional raids and seizures were carried out in Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Cyprus, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UAE.