Published on
14/07/2026 - 15:00 GMT+2
The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) in Athens carried out searches and seizures last week at various locations in Attica and Kastoria, as part of an ongoing investigation into suspected VAT fraud involving the trade of small electronic devices and the laundering of proceeds from criminal activities.
The investigation, launched almost a year ago, has so far uncovered a complex network of companies set up in Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic and Greece, which are believed to have been used to trade small electronic devices across the European Union.
At the centre of the case is an alleged VAT carousel fraud scheme, a criminal system that exploits the VAT exemption applying to cross-border transactions between EU member states. According to the evidence gathered so far, between 2021 and 2025, the suspects are thought to have used a chain of so-called "missing traders", companies created to trade in goods, charging VAT and then absconding without paying the tax due to the relevant government. In some cases, they may have claimed unlawful refunds of VAT on goods they purchased, which had never been paid.
