Pizza Fan: €25 million VAT tax evasion – nine arrests and illegal software
The Organised Crime Directorate raided Pizza Fan establishments and arrested nine people for VAT tax evasion of at least €25 million since 2022.
Raid on Pizza Fan: illegal software, €25 million VAT and nine arrests
The Organised Crime Directorate (ΔΑΟΕ) launched a large-scale operation against the Pizza Fan restaurant chain, uncovering systematic tax evasion spanning from 2022 to the present day. According to To Vima, the criminal ring allegedly concealed at least €25 million in VAT from the state through illegal software installed across the entire nationwide network of 100 franchise outlets.
Nine arrests at leadership level
Authorities proceeded to arrest nine individuals who formed the leadership of the organisation. Those arrested include the chain's owner (CEO), the second in the company's hierarchy, accounting personnel, the programmer who designed the illegal software, and store managers. Two additional individuals implicated in the scheme are being sought, while investigations by authorities continue across the country.
How the illegal system operated
The programmer behind the criminal ring had developed specialised software that intercepted the flow of orders. The system would receive customer pre-orders but would not register them permanently on the cash register. In this way, deliberately altered and significantly smaller amounts were sent to the AAΔE's myDATA platform, allowing the company to appropriate the VAT it collected from consumers. The owner allegedly imposed this system of revenue tampering across the entire franchise network.
Items seized
During coordinated raids on residences and establishments, carried out by the Economic Crimes Prosecution Subdirectorate, the AAΔE and the Criminological Research Directorate, the following were seized:
- Over €500,000 in cash, found in the possession of the owner
- A fleet of luxury vehicles
- Jewellery
- An extensive collection of digital evidence
Official announcements expected
The operation was still ongoing at the time of publication of this report. Upon completion, the Hellenic Police (ΕΛ.ΑΣ.) is expected to proceed with its official announcements. Pizza Fan operates a nationwide network of 100 franchise outlets and is among the well-known restaurant chains in the country.
Source: To Vima