JOINT OPERATION DISRUPTS VAT FRAUD GANG

A joint operation of the Bulgarian Specialized Prosecutor’s office, the Chief Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and the National Revenue Agency disrupted the activities of a criminal group, which had caused losses to the state budget amounting to approximately 1 million BGN of siphoned VAT, the press centre of Bulgaria’s Prosecutor’s Office announced on 15th of May.

The group operated in Bulgaria and controlled companies, which were serviced by one and the same accountancy company. The scam involved a system of missing traders and buffer companies, which supplied food products to major grocery stores, the announcement says.

The offices of the accountancy company, which serviced the criminal group, were searched on 14th of May. A large number of stamps, computers, a server and documents of the missing traders and the buffer companies were seized as evidence.

Witnesses are being interviewed and a technical expert report on the computer configurations is assigned.

The investigation is conducted by the unit for fight against tax crimes, recently established in the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office.