Tax fraud: luxury car trafficking ring dismantled in Centre-Val de Loire region
Law enforcement has dismantled a criminal network specialising in the illegal importation of high-end vehicles. The operation led to the arrest of six individuals and the seizure of significant assets.
Tax fraud: luxury car trafficking ring dismantled in Centre-Val de Loire region
Investigators from the national police in Indre-et-Loire have ended the activities of an organised group that was selling prestige automobiles whilst committing tax fraud. The case came to light following several months of investigation that culminated in the arrest of six alleged members of the network last Monday.
The mechanism put in place by the suspects was based on the use of shell companies and forged documents. Through this scheme, they were able to register in France saloon cars and sports cars purchased across the Rhine, whilst evading mandatory tax payments. Each month, this trafficking operation allowed dozens of these vehicles to enter French territory.
Investigators' calculations reveal the scale of the phenomenon: since spring 2022, financial movements linked to this underground activity have exceeded fifteen million euros. The loss to the State's finances amounts to nearly three million.
Searches carried out during the operation resulted in the seizure of ten high-powered vehicles, a sum of €6,700 in cash, gold ingots and jewellery valued at €19,000, as well as bank funds totalling €13,000.
At the end of their police custody, two of the defendants were brought before an investigating judge and remanded in custody on Wednesday. Three accomplices were released but remain subject to reporting obligations and other constraints imposed by the courts.
Source: ici.fr
Source: Google News MA — Crime (fr)