European prosecutors raised indictments against six people for suspicion that they participated in a criminal network that flooded the European Union illegally imported by Chinese goods.
As part of the investigation, the Office of the European Public Prosecutor (EPPO) seized 2,435 ship containers in the Greece Pirae port, which is largest such seizure in the history of the EU, says Polito.
The avoidance scheme of anti-dumping duties on imports from China lasted at least eight years. According to the EPPO estimates, the Member States and EU budgets were damaged by about 350 million euros of unpaid customs and the additional 450 million euros of VAT. The containers, who arrived in the port of majority owned by the Chinese State Company COSCO, were primarily filled with electric bicycles, textiles and footwear.
European prosecutors in Athens accused the two customs officers for false documents, which enabled customs fraud and inflicted the damage to the EU budget. Along with them, four customs officers were also accused of participating in the customs fraud and encouraging false certification.
The investigation under the code name “Kalipso” targeted criminal networks managed by the entire process – from the import of goods from China, through distribution throughout EU members, and customs scams with VAT. Revenues from illegal activities were washed and sent back to China. According to the EPPO, the networks, mostly controlled Chinese citizens.
– These highly organized criminal networks have specialized in this type of fraud – said the European Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruţa Kövesi in a statement.
– The Kalipso operation sends these criminals a clear message: the rules have changed and there are no more safe refugees. Now we have to turn this spectacular success into systemic work. We need our dedicated and specialized police, customs and tax investigators across the entire EPPO zone – she added.
The seized containers are currently being inspected, which is a huge logistics challenge and security risk for customs officers in Pirae. Although the Greek authorities have so far opened a small number of containers, it is estimated that the value of goods in them is around 250 million euros, SEEbiz reports.
(Type / Source: FENA / PHOTO: Illustration / EPPO.Europa)
