Alex Trelinski
SPAIN’S Policia Nacional has dismantled a luxury car importing scam that conned the country’s Tax Agency out of over €17 million.
30 people have been arrested including the ring-leader based in Germany.
Luxury cars were brought in from Germany via a network of specially-created companies to avoid paying VAT to Spain’s Tax Agency.
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The fiddle also allowed the vehicles to be sold at below market value.
15 home searches were carried out in Spain and two in Germany.
The probe discovered that profits were syphoned off into buying high-end cars and properties valued at over €11 million.
€307,860 in cash, numerous jewellery and luxury watches were seized during the searches
Bank accounts in Spain, Germany, Portugal and Lithuania have been blocked after being used for money laundering and tax fraud.
The Policia Nacional said the gang leader in Germany was in charge of supplying luxury cars to various vehicle buying and selling companies located in Spain.
He used bogus documentation to evade justice but is now awaiting extradition to Spain.
The cars were despatched to the Valencia and Murcia regions as well as to the Cordoba and Costa del Sol areas in Andalucia.
One section of the gang created the entire business network necessary to carry out tax fraud and money laundering.
The organisation even provided ‘special protection’ for people who in exchange for staying at safe houses, agreed to have their names used as administrators and directors of the various companies used in the plot.
