Ancona, 17 May 2024. Maxi seizure of valuable ivory artefacts held illegally: those responsible for a tax fraud worth over two billion euros have been found. The Guardia di Finanza of the Provincial Command of Ancona was in action during a complex investigation activity, called the “Fast & Clean” operation, which dismantled a criminal organization made up of Chinese nationals who were responsible for a huge tax fraud amounting to almost 2 billion euros. As well as the laundering and transfer of the huge amount of illicit proceeds to China through the so-called “underground bank” system, a “hidden bank” serving the illegal economy. The military found and seized a precious collection of fine ivory works of art. The Finanzieri of the Tenenza of Senigallia, in search of the assets illicitly accumulated by the criminal organization through illicit proceeds, as well as subjecting to seizure numerous properties, vehicles, an industrial warehouse, jewels, cash for one million and 700 thousand euros and bank deposits for more than 5 million euros, they discovered, inside a private home in the province of Vicenza owned by a man of Chinese nationality, a family member of one of the suspects, a real treasure consisting of a precious collection of works of art of absolute value. The goods, purchased at well-known auction houses, with a total value of 5 million euros, consist of paintings, vases, coins and ancient porcelain objects attributable to ancient Chinese dynasties, as well as collections of coins of significant value . These assets, found during the searches ordered by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Ancona, were subjected to preventive seizure by the Financiers, so as to proceed with their confiscation and ensure the Treasury at least partial compensation for the damage suffered by the huge fraud carried out . Among the objects discovered were numerous ivory works of art of considerable value, illegally held in violation of the Washington Convention. For this reason the owner of the same was reported. The Icentine judicial authority, after coordination with the Doric one, to confirm the illegality of the detention, issued a preventive seizure order of the collection of ivory objects which was carried out by the carabinieri of the Cites Unit of Vicenza. These are 80 objects made of African elephant ivory (Loxodonta Africana) of presumed Chinese origin, illegally detained. Together with finds of high artistic-cultural value, two raw African elephant tusks and a black rhinoceros horn were found. The illegal trafficking of elephant ivory parts and products is still widespread despite the stringent legislation implemented by the Convention on International Trade in Species of Flora and Fauna Threatened with Extinction (Cites) to which 183 countries have signed up and which regulates trade. Elephant poaching and ivory trafficking, driven by Asian demand, are still at very high levels. For the institutional activity of the Guardia di Finanza, the seizure of illicit assets, held in Italy or abroad, even in the form of “safe haven assets”, also takes on a “social” value, since it allows the wealth accumulated in the past to be returned to the community. time from crime.
