The European Prosecutor’s Office, in cooperation with investigators from 14 member states of the European Union, uncovered a complicated system of fraud with VAT refunds worth at least 2 euros as part of Operation Admiral.

The fraud concerns the sale of electronics, which the prosecutor’s office found out on the basis of two hundred different searches and checks. These investigative actions took place in Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Sweden.

He revealed the problem in 9,000 companies

All obtained data are further analyzed. The EPPO estimates that the damage caused by the frauds investigated under Operation Admiral amounts to 2.2 billion euros.

The investigation began in April 2021 when the Portuguese tax authorities suspected the company, which sells mobile phones, tablets, headphones and other electronic devices, of VAT fraud. Three months later, in June 2021, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office started its activities.

Invoices and tax returns appeared to be in order at the national level, but at the European level, irregularities appeared in almost 9,000 companies. 18 months after the first report, the EPPO has uncovered the largest carousel VAT fraud ever investigated in the EU.

This criminal activity took place in 22 member countries involved in the activities of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, as well as in Hungary, Ireland, Sweden and Poland, and in third countries, including Albania, China, Mauritius, Serbia, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the USA.