News
Photo: CBŚP
Poland’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBŚP) has detained 20 people who are suspected of involvement with an international criminal group that smuggled approximately 600 premium-class cars to Russia and Belarus in violation of EU sanctions. The scheme also involved fraudulent vehicle transactions and illegal VAT refunds.
The group operated in a collection of European countries that included Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Germany, and other countries. Members purchased BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Lexus, and Range Rover vehicles from dealerships before reselling them through a series of shell companies in order to obscure their origin and the transaction chain. Ultimately, the cars reached Russia and Belarus via front companies in Belarus, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan.
Investigators claim that the scheme’s participants illegally received VAT refunds totaling more than 40 million zlotys (€9 million). They also issued fake invoices for over 17 million zlotys (€4 million).
Three suspects have been charged with leading the group. By court order, two of them have been placed under arrest. All 20 have been charged with participating in an organized criminal group, money laundering, document forgery, and evading sanctions.
During the searches, the police seized luxury watches, jewelry, and cash. The financial inspectorate froze over 10 million zlotys (€2.3 million) in the defendants’ bank accounts.
Under Polish law, the crimes charged, including those classified as serious, are punishable by imprisonment of at least five years, plus substantial fines.