A large-scale operation by tax authorities has uncovered a massive tax evasion of €127 million, orchestrated through 51 shell companies and a complex international money laundering system.
There are 54 people under investigation, residents between Naples and Caserta, involved in a scheme that allowed them to evade VAT and finance illegal activities. Coordinated by Prosecutor's Office of Naples, the operation revealed how, between 2019 and 2021, a sophisticated mechanism allowed the evasion of over 46 million euros in taxes.
At the center of the diagram, a network of 51 paper companies, used to issue invoices for non-existent transactions. These companies have assisted 34 companies, operating in Campania, Tuscany, Marche and Veneto, in evading VAT payments, generating an illicit business of enormous proportions.
International recycling
In addition to tax evasion, the investigations have shed light on a sophisticated money laundering system. Profits from sales were transferred to bank accounts in China, through operations managed by Chinese citizens residing in Naples. To mask the origin of the funds, the transfers first passed through foreign companies based in Albania and Croatia, and then returned to Italy with a commission retained for the intermediation. A system that, devoid of real commercial transactions, was aimed exclusively at emptying company accounts and generating illicit liquidity.
Among the suspects are figurehead, professionals and intermediaries, which made it difficult to reconstruct the financial flows. Authorities found that the financing of the fake invoices was carried out via bank transfers, a method that made it more difficult to trace the origins of the money. However, an in-depth analysis of the transactions allowed investigators to trace the entire scheme.
Il Judge for Preliminary Investigations of Naples issued a seizure order for equivalent, affecting business assets, real estate and other properties attributable to the suspects. This measure aims to prevent the reinvestment or concealment of illicit funds.
Article published on 21 January 2025 - 12:28
