The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Turin, Italy, has obtained the conviction of ten defendants by the Tribunal of Nola in a VAT fraud case involving the trade of plastics products.
The defendants were found guilty of offenses including VAT fraud, the use and issuance of false invoices, and related tax crimes. The court-imposed prison sentences range from three years and four months to four years and six months and are still subject to appeal.
The court also ordered the confiscation of assets already seized during the investigation, including cash, financial assets and luxury goods, with a total value exceeding €1.1 million. In addition, confiscation orders were issued against convicted individuals and companies for the proceeds of the offences.
As previously reported, the investigation uncovered a sophisticated VAT fraud scheme operating between 2018 and 2023 through a network of shell companies involved in the trade of industrial plastics products.
According to the investigation, the criminal scheme relied on the issuance and use of invoices for non-existent transactions amounting to approximately €500 million, resulting in an estimated VAT loss of around €100 million.
The fraudulent structure used intermediary companies that systematically failed to meet their VAT obligations, while concealing the true flow of goods and funds through a chain of fictitious transactions.
The investigation, supported by Europol and carried out by the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) of Turin, led in March 2025 to the arrest of 13 suspects and the seizure of assets in Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Latvia and Slovakia.
Proceedings against two additional defendants are ongoing before the Tribunal of Nola.
The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.
