Five arrested in Coín for participating in a scheme that defrauded the Treasury of 12.6 million euros

The shell companies were located in the province of Malaga

Thursday, 27 February 2025, 10:22

National Police officers have dismantled a corporate network that had defrauded the Treasury of 12.6 million euros. A company of Romanian origin acquired the goods from entities in Latvia, Estonia and the Netherlands and, apparently, sold them to Portugal and Slovakia. It then relied on funds from shell companies located in the province of Malaga, with which it had no commercial activity, deducting unpaid VAT through fictitious invoicing.

The European prosecutor's office also intervened, as the case affected the financial interests of several EU countries. The network executed the complex operation in the electronics sector, affecting not only the Treasury but also the market by placing products at a lower price and fostering unfair competition.

The National Police took part in the so-called 'Computer' operation, following a complaint issued by the Romanian authorities (Cluj prosecution), which requested an investigation after detecting an Eastern European company that participated in triangular transactions and obtained funds from companies with no commercial relationship.

A VAT that never existed

The Romanian company simulated the purchase of intra-community goods and avoided paying VAT. The Spanish shell companies were in charge of transferring funds without being clients. They pretended to make purchases and issued false invoices, which allowed them to deduct unpaid VAT.

Given the complexity of the scheme, the Spanish investigation extended to several provinces, such as Malaga, Madrid, Barcelona, Mallorca and Murcia. In Malaga, specifically in the town of Coín, the National Police arrested five people related to the investigation, one of whom is the administrator of the consultancy firm linked to the scheme for alleged crimes against the Treasury. Three other individuals have been arrested for their role as front men in the provinces of Barcelona, Majorca and Murcia, charged with the same offences.

In San Fernando de Henares, Madrid, the headquarters of the computer products was searched. The company is considered to be the beneficiary of the dismantled scheme, as they were able to place their products on the market at a lower price than their competitors by taking advantage of VAT fraud.

The National Police, in collaboration with the tax agency, has provided sufficient evidence to locate the tax fraud during the tax years of 2019, 2020 and 2021. Among the items seized were various documents related to the illegal activity, computer equipment, mobile phones and 4,000 euros in cash. Precautionary measures have also been requested for 57 properties valued at more than 33 million euros.

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