Cagliari The square of the basilica of Nostra Signora di Bonaria, patron saint of Sardinia, was the unusual location of the regional ceremony of the 250th anniversary of the foundation of the Guardia di Finanza, maximum patron saint of Sardinia, in the presence of the highest regional civil, military and religious of the four Sardinian provinces.
During the ceremony, General Claudio Bolognesetook stock of the service results achieved in almost a year and a half, from 1 January 2023 to 31 May 2024, with particular reference to the fight against crimes in the sector of the protection of public spending, economic-financial crime as well as fight against tax evasion, avoidance and fraud.
In 2023 and in the first five months of 2024, the Sardinian Financial Police carried out 26 thousand inspections and 2,400 investigations to counteract the economic-financial crimes and the infiltration of crime into the economy. Assets worth over 100 million euros were seized because they were the proceeds of illegal activities, other economic and financial misdeeds involving tens of millions of euros were uncovered, 295 total tax evaders and 395 “undeclared” workers were identified. In addition, 8 cases of international tax evasionmainly attributable to hidden permanent establishments, transfer pricing manipulations, fictitious tax residences and the illicit holding of capital across the border, noting a net taxable base evaded taxation of approximately 9 million euros. The individuals reported for tax crimes there are 208, of which 4 arrested. Assets profiting from tax evasion and fraud, worth 100 million euros, were seized.
In protecting public spending, the activity of the Fiamme Gialle was oriented towards the correct use of national and European Union resources for the implementation of interventions to support businesses and families. In this context, 378 interventions were carried out, for a total of 78 million euros in controlled contributions/credits.
Also pay attention to the protection of other resources of theEuropean Union, including aid provided for by the Common Agricultural Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy. In this regard, the territorial departments of the Corps conducted 46 interventions, ascertaining fraud, implemented through the presentation of untruthful data and false ownership titles, for 3 million euros, making seizure proposals for over one million euros and reporting 30 responsible.
On the front of national public spending, in the same period, 1,279 interventions were carried out. The action against fraud against community resourceshas led to the overall identification of unduly received contributions for over 10 million euros, while those relating to national funding, social security and welfare expenditure amount to 40 million euros.
In the field of Basic income684 checks were carried out which made it possible to ascertain contributions unduly requested and/or received for over 3.5 million euros, and to report 271 perpetrators.
On the subject of procurementassignment procedures and methods of execution of the works and services were monitored, which made it possible to identify irregular assignments of over 70 million euros and to report 33 individuals to the judicial authorities, of which 2 were arrested.
The action of the Corps in combating corruptive phenomena and other crimes against the Public Administration, led to the reporting of 57 people, 5 of whom were arrested for corruption, extortion and embezzlement for a total value of approximately 25 million euros.
In the fight against organized and economic-financial crime, 38 interventions were carried out in the field of money laundering, re-use and self-laundering, which made it possible to ascertain laundered sums amounting to 234.5 million, report 104 people, as well as seize and confiscate assets for a value of 6.6 million euros. Over 700 suspicious financial flows generated by operators of the anti-money laundering prevention system were analysed, of which 5 related to terrorist financing.
At the land and sea borders, 1,230 checks were carried out aimed at verifying compliance with the rules on the cross-border circulation of currency by subjects entering and exiting the regional territory, resulting in cash amounting to 6.7 million euros and 12 detected violations.
Following the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and the consequent military escalation, the Corps, as a member of the Financial Security Committee, continued the economic and patrimonial investigations on the individuals and entities listed in the restrictive measures issued by the European Union. Overall, since 2022, freezing measures have been carried out against 10 entities, concerning buildings, vehicles, boats, land and company shares, all relating to Sardinia, for a total value of 750 million euros. In application of anti-mafia legislation, 454 subjects were subjected to asset checks concluded with the application of seizure measures for over 3.6 million euros. In the period under review, the Corps Departments seized approximately 8.9 tons of narcotic substances, consisting of cocaine (20.8 kilograms), marijuana (8.8 tons) and heroin (2.5 kilograms), as well as over 11 thousand cannabis plants, reporting 186 subjects to the judicial authorities, of which 31 are under arrest, and reporting 569 people to the prefectures.
On the protection of the goods and services market, 264 interventions were carried out and 80 subjects reported. Following these activities, 540 thousand counterfeit products were seized, with false indications of being made in Italy. Also seized were approximately 500 thousand liters (wines) and 57 tons of agri-food products (cheeses), bearing falsified industrial brands, false indications and the subject of commercial fraud. From January 2023 to today, the activities of the air-naval department, with the main operational base in Cagliari and the six island sections, have made it possible to arrest 3 smugglers, seize 18 boats, and contribute to the rescue of 316 migrants. In the constant monitoring of the coasts and territorial waters, 2,657 boats and 4,934 subjects were checked.
The ceremony concluded with the awarding of solemn commendations to financiers who have distinguished themselves in particular operations over the last year and a half.
