Großaktion: 13 Festnahmen in Millionen-Steuerbetrug mit Luxusautos

In a major operation targeting alleged tax fraud involving luxury cars across multiple countries, law enforcement agencies have made 13 arrests and conducted searches and seizures in Germany and four other EU nations. The European State Attorney's Office (EUStA) in Luxembourg reported that 13 individuals were detained in Germany and Austria.

Investigations are ongoing against over 50 suspects, with the agency estimating potential damages of around 100 million euros. The Wednesday raids in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Poland involved more than 900 officers. Authorities in Frankfurt, Baden-Württemberg, and Berlin were also involved in the operations.

Bank accounts were frozen, dozens of vehicles, cash, cryptocurrencies, a firearm, and luxury watches were seized. In Berlin, two properties were seized, including a hostel. The fraud scheme allegedly involved seven people, including two tax advisors, who have been defrauding EU regulations for at least ten years using a sophisticated system known as the "Carousel" fraud.

This allowed businesses in Berlin to import luxury cars and pay the net price without incurring VAT. The scheme reportedly involved a network of companies and sometimes cross-border sales, enabling the criminal network to avoid paying taxes and remit them elsewhere. EUStA is the independent prosecutor for the European Union, responsible for investigating financial offenses against EU interests, including tax fraud, money laundering, customs fraud, or mismanagement of EU funds.