An operation by the Arezzo Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) led to the seizure of assets worth over €15,7 million, linked to a complex tax fraud involving the trade of pure silver destined for industrial processing. The investigation involves 15 individuals and 9 companies, under investigation for various charges of criminal conspiracy, issuing and using invoices for non-existent transactions, failure to file tax returns, money laundering, self-laundering, and receiving stolen goods.
The investigation, conducted by approximately 80 financial police officers, involved searches and checks in the provinces of Arezzo, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples, Caserta, Matera, Latina, L'Aquila, Pescara, Catania, and Messina. During the searches, the illicit profits were seized, as well as properties, bank accounts, luxury cars, 2,2 kilos of gold foil, 150 kilos of pure silver, works of art, cash, and valuable watches.
According to investigators' reconstruction, the criminal conspiracy centered on a Bologna-based company operating in the industrial metalworking industry. The company procured large quantities of pure silver at prices below the reference fixing, exploiting a fraudulent VAT evasion scheme. The silver, regularly purchased from Arezzo metal dealers not involved in the investigation, was delivered directly to the beneficiary company via private cars or parking lots, and invoiced as silver bullion, with VAT collected by the sellers but never paid to the state.
This operation represents one of the most significant interventions by the Guardia di Finanza in the field of tax fraud related to precious metals, exposing a sophisticated and widespread nationwide scheme that had allowed the suspects to accumulate huge profits at the expense of the treasury.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
The article discusses a major operation by the Guardia di Finanza (Italian Finance Police) that led to significant seizures. But there are many people involved, and I wonder how these frauds could have gone undetected for so long.