OLAF Uncovers Major EU Customs and VAT Fraud Scheme Involving Undeclared Imports Across Multiple States

• OLAF uncovered a large-scale customs and VAT fraud involving undeclared imports of textiles, footwear, electric bicycles, and other goods.
• The scheme misused EU customs transit procedures and customs procedure 42 to evade customs duties and VAT.
• OLAF coordinated investigations and control actions across several EU Member States, gathering evidence and conducting physical checks.
• The fraud involved false confirmations of arrival, misdeclaration of goods, fabricated transport documents, and use of shell companies.
• The scheme resulted in an estimated loss of EUR 118 million in customs duties and EUR 79 million in VAT, and led to criminal investigations and arrests in Poland.

Source: anti-fraud.ec.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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