International cooperation of services in the European investigation
Officers of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau have detained a man wanted under a European Arrest Warrant. This is the result of international cooperation between the CBA and German law enforcement authorities. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Munich is conducting a European investigation into the operations of an organized criminal group involved in large-scale VAT fraud.
On April 2, 2025, in Gniezno, officers from the Regional Office of the CBA in Bydgoszcz detained a man suspected of participating in a criminal group defrauding VAT in Germany and other EU countries. The detainee was sought under a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Munich.
The newly established National Office of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw was notified of the detention. At the request of the EPPO, CBA officers searched locations connected to the detainee and secured data storage devices.
VAT Fraud
According to the investigation’s findings, in 2024, the detainee, in collaboration with others, participated in an organized criminal group whose aim was to commit tax crimes by unlawfully claiming VAT refunds totaling approximately €24 million. As part of this criminal activity, he facilitated the issuance of VAT invoices that did not reflect actual commercial transactions involving electronics trade. This led to a reduction in due VAT in the amount of about €50 million.
At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, the suspect has been temporarily detained for a period of 30 days and will face justice in the German legal system.
European Investigation
As part of the ongoing investigation code-named "MIDAS", focused on VAT fraud involving the trade of electronic goods, in early April of this year, numerous searches were conducted in Germany, Bulgaria, and Poland at the request of the EPPO. The international operation involved the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau, the German Tax Office for Criminal and Investigation Affairs based in Berlin, the Bulgarian State Investigation Service, and the General Directorate of the National Police in Sofia.
As a result of this international cooperation, three individuals were detained. Two of them were released after questioning. One, however, was temporarily arrested for 30 days at the request of the EPPO and will face prosecution in the German judicial system.
The European investigation into large-scale tax fraud spans 17 countries. It is estimated that the total amount of VAT losses may reach €195 million.
CBA Press Team
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CBA
