Naples, massive seizure of over €21 million: network of fake invoices and "clandestine bank" dismantled

The Naples Public Prosecutor's Office has dealt a new blow to economic crime. Officers from the Special Currency Police Unit of the Rome Guardia di Finanza are executing a precautionary seizure order worth more than €21 million against 16 companies located throughout the country and their legal representatives, under investigation for an alleged tax fraud scheme based on the issuance and use of invoices for non-existent transactions. The order was issued by the investigating judge of the Court of Naples at the request of the Naples Public Prosecutor's Office.

The investigation stems from an investigation already underway

The seizure is a development of a broader investigation coordinated by the Third Section of the Naples Public Prosecutor's Office, which specializes in economic crimes. The investigation had already led, last January, to the execution of five precautionary measures against individuals from the province of Naples, believed to be at the center of a complex underground banking system, a sort of clandestine bank capable of moving large sums of money through companies that only ostensibly operated in the ferrous metals trade.

The mechanism: fake invoices, bank transfers and cash

According to the investigation, the scheme involved "shell" companies, tasked with issuing invoices for non-existent transactions to genuine businesses. These companies made payments via bank transfer; the funds were then transferred to foreign bank accounts and subsequently returned to the users in cash, with a fee retained for the illicit service. This system would have allowed the companies involved to obtain undue tax benefits and, at the same time, access untraceable cash.

One hundred and thirty-four million transferred abroad

The investigations also documented the transfer of approximately €134 million abroad. The main destinations of the financial flows were Germany, Ireland, China, and Denmark, as well as other European countries including Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands.

The seizure ordered by the investigating judge

In light of the evidence gathered, the investigating judge of the Court of Naples ordered the precautionary seizure, including the equivalent amount, up to the amount of the proceeds of the crime, estimated at over €21 million. This operation represents one of the latest developments in the Naples Prosecutor's Office's investigative efforts against tax fraud and money laundering networks based on the use of shell companies and international financial channels.