News

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has finalised an investigation of a sophisticated EU-wide potential fraud scheme involving the import of goods from China.  The case reveals a suspected €14 million fraud in underpaid customs duties and an estimated €93 million in VAT evaded.  

JAD Finestra’s scope was tobacco smuggling, migrant smuggling and related document fraud – and the exchange of intelligence between participating countries.

One week of operations coordinated by the Dutch authorities and supported by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and Europol resulted in the seizure of at least 2100 cylinders of illicit HFCs – hydrofluorocarbons – for an estimated value of over 10 million euros.

15 October marks the launch of an EU-wide operation codenamed Sentinel, aiming to safeguard the EU’s post-pandemic recovery efforts.

Ukrainian State Customs Service inspected a cargo travelling from India to Ukraine after OLAF provided them with a lead on the shipment’s suspicious nature – it seemed unlikely that the goods involved were indeed ‘’pneumatic rubber tyres’’ as claimed by the official documentation.

​​​​​​​The financial impact of detected fraud against the EU budget continued to decline in 2020, according to the annual report on the protection of the European Union’s financial interests (PIF report) adopted by the European Commission today.

​​​​​​​The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has recently been active in fighting illicit waste trafficking from the European Union. OLAF’s alerts and intelligence have already helped the Italian authorities block the attempted international smuggling of some 800 tonnes of waste.

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) supported the Spanish Guardia Civil and the Portuguese Guarda Nacional Republicana in an operation against an international criminal network specialised in the illicit production and sale of cigarettes, as well as in the laundering of its illicit profits.

European customs and police authorities have seized nearly 1.8 million litres of wine and alcoholic beverages in a targeted action led by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), as part of the joint Europol-Interpol operation OPSON X.