Special Criminal Court Imposes Four Years Imprisonment on Members of Organised Crime Group

The Special Criminal Court today imposed four years imprisonment under an initial general regime on four members of an organised crime group involved in VAT tax evasion, said the press office of the Appellate Prosecutor's Office. Forfeiture of cars and half of their properties was imposed on each of the four defendants.
The members of the crime group were engaged in legal trade - import and trade in meat and dairy products from the Netherlands, Greece, Poland, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. In order to evade the payment of the tax due, they reported sales to shell companies not engaged in any trading activity, without offices or staff, registered in the name of 'straw men' and directly controlled by the group. Thus, the participants minimised the tax effect of their commercial activity and caused the state budget nearly BGN 1.5 million in damages.
The criminal activity of the group was disrupted in 2012 in a special operation of the General Directorate of the National Police, the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior - Plovdiv, the National Revenue Agency and the Special Prosecutor's Office.
The verdict is not final and can be appealed before the Special Court of Appeal. 

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