Romania: 28 suspects of tax evasion on fruits and vegetables under questioning

28 suspects of evading taxes on fruit and vegetable products are under questioning by prosecutors of the DIICOT. These include two officials from the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (NAFA).

Prosecutors of the DIICOT Bucharest, along with officers from the Bucharest Organised Crime Squad, conducted 46 searches on Wednesday in an operation aimed at dismantling a criminal organisation specialised in tax evasion crimes and money laundering.

During 2013-2014, the group’s members imported vegetables and fruits from non-EU countries, such as Turkey, using interposed companies in order to evade the payment of taxes, resulting in a loss of 108 million Leu (about 24 million Euro).

DIICOT Investigators also said that the companies used by the criminal chain never had any employees or offices at the declared locations, where only empty land, service stations or garages were to be found.

The investigators are concerned about the possible involvement of two officials of the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (NAFA), which are suspected to have supported the criminal activities.