- Three suspected ringleaders of an international criminal group charged with €93 million VAT fraud
- Defendants indicted at the Regional Court of Dusseldorf for criminal association and VAT fraud
- Two defendants in pre-trial detention, one arrested in Nairobi and deported
- Criminal organisation involved in international trade of consumer electronics, mainly AirPods
- Suspected of evading tax through VAT carousel fraud, causing estimated losses of €93 million
- Defendants face up to 10 years of imprisonment if convicted
- Investigation supported by Europol, German tax agencies, and national police forces in multiple countries
- Seizure of 1,800 AirPods, cash, luxury cars, and a high-end watch during investigation
- All persons presumed innocent until proven guilty in German courts
- EPPO responsible for investigating and prosecuting crimes against the financial interests of the EU
Source: eppo.europa.eu
Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.
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