Detention of persons suspected of extortion of return of VAT tax
Agents of the CBA detained two persons suspected of the participation in an international organized criminal group. Until now, the CBA have detained 19 persons acting with the aim of the extortion of nearly PLN 1 billion VAT. According to the findings of the investigation, the VAT carousel lasted for several years and included several countries of the European Union.
Officers of the Regional Office of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau in Białystok detained in Masovian Voivodeship another two persons in connection with the investigation conducted together with the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw.
The detainees are presidents of a Polish and Czech company, acting in an international organized criminal group committing criminal and fiscal crimes. As it has been determined in the course of the proceeding, the group have tried to extort from the state budget almost of PLN 1 billion of undue refund of tax on goods and services (VAT tax). Persons who have been detained today were links in the so-called carousel scheme, consisting in simulating economic events and trade in goods between Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. As part of these activities, fictitious invoices for buying and selling food products were issued, including coffee, sweets, batteries, shavers and cosmetics, which were supposed to conceal the criminal activities of the group from the tax authorities.
After completing the searches, the detainees will be transferred to the Prosecutor's Office, where they will be charge.
The investigation conducted by the CBA is multifaceted and developmental. The CBA cooperates on this matter with the Podkarpackie Customs and Tax Office. The first detentions took place in 2017, when three members of the group's top management were detained, while in February 2018 have been detained one of the so-called "investors", who gave their financial resources to start the group's activity to derive financial benefits from it.