Companies that trafficked imitations products, adulterated drinks and smuggled tobacco products with significant losses, among other things, in duties and taxes for the Greek State, the auditors of the competent Operational Directorate of SDOE.
In more detail, following the use of a related tip, a company was identified that imported low-alcohol alcoholic beverages and, through the presentation of such customs documents, in order to pay reduced duties and taxes, which led to additional profits.
SDOE auditors carried out checks at the premises of the alcoholic beverage trading company in the Attica region. A check of the company’s stocks was carried out, with regard to the import of specific alcoholic beverages, and samples were taken to send to the Chemical Service. Verification of the samples found that the alcoholic beverages were classified as ‘non-regular’, as they did not meet the conditions to be classified as ‘fermented drinks’. As a result, it turned out that the specific company imported into Greece alcoholic beverages of a specific label, paying reduced duties and other taxes. The amount of customs charges benefited by the audited entity has been determined to date by the competent customs authorities in the amount of €4,205,426.
The Service’s investigation was assisted by officials from the Athens Customs and the 3rd Piraeus Customs.
The respective report was forwarded to Customs for assessment of the respective fines.
Tobacco products
In another case, following the exploitation of information about a tobacco trading company, which, through a special device, managed to reduce the payment of customs duties, a mixed operational action group was created, in cooperation with the Department of Organized Crime of Heraklion, Crete, where an audit was carried out on a tobacco products trading company.
From the processing of customs and tax documents, as well as the examination of the samples taken, it was found that the audited company, using the special trick of separately importing tobacco, on the one hand, and aromatic liquid for tobacco, on the other, did not pay the duties corresponding customs, while also trading refill liquids that fall into the category of tobacco products and are subject to duties, etc.
The goods sold by the audited company were classified by the Chemical Service in the tobacco category, missing duties and other taxes in the amount of €1,130,771.
A relevant report was prepared by the Heraklion Customs Service for the imposition of relevant fines for smuggling.
The Organized Crime Department of Heraklion, Crete will inform the Heraklion District Prosecutor’s Office with a relevant report.
Virtual companies
In a third case, following the exploitation of information, relating to the operation of companies that sell counterfeit and pirated products, the auditors carried out numerous on-site and inter-financial audits of transactions and bank account movements and established the existence of virtual companies, with no real activity , which operated in a coordinated manner with the sole purpose of illegally trafficking counterfeit products.
In particular, the operation of at least 8 companies was found to have transported their goods via a well-known courier company and collected a total of 10,607,352 euros from sales of goods during the three years 2019-2022.
From the Information Systems of the Ministry of Economy and National Finance, it was established that the audited companies presented periodic null or inaccurate VAT declarations, hiding a total amount of 9,646,075 euros, resulting in the creation of an illegal property benefit with a corresponding loss at the expense of the State due to non-payment of the respective VAT and the concealment of taxable income.
Furthermore, the audit found companies using the benefit of illegal ownership in order to give them the appearance of legitimacy, in violation of the provisions on the legalization of criminal proceeds (“money laundering”).
The Service sent relevant information sheets to the competent tax authorities for subsequent control and calculation of relevant taxes.
A criminal charge was announced against the people involved with the competent Public Prosecutor’s Office for the crimes of money laundering resulting from criminal activity and forgery, fraud and violation of the rules on unfair competition and the public contracts code.