(Luxembourg, 21 October 2024) – At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Milan and Rome (Italy), the judge for preliminary investigations at the Court of Latina issued a freezing order of €28.8 million, in an investigation into a €40 million VAT fraud involving airpods.
The freezing order was issued against two of the perpetrators of the criminal scheme under investigation, previously convicted and sentenced, on 24 July 2024, to six and four years of imprisonment. Both defendants were convicted through a simplified procedure, and are currently placed under house arrest until the sentence becomes final.
During the execution of the freezing order, the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) froze €3.1 million in bank accounts of a company based in Reggio Emilia, which is believed to be the main beneficiary of the fraud. The search for other assets belonging to the two convicted individuals is still ongoing.
Earlier in this investigation, the EPPO had already blocked €1.8 million. In addition, luxury watches had been seized, belonging to the suspected main organiser of the fraud. He is believed to have acted as the manager of a cluster of missing traders located in Terracina, and is currently being tried before the Court of Latina.
This investigation counts more than 50 defendants. Based on the evidence, between 2018 and 2022, at least €200 million worth of airpods were traded through the criminal scheme, while evading the payment of VAT.
All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent Italian courts of law.
The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.