The numbers provided by the Varese Financial Police on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Fiamme Gialle in Varese are impressive.
In 2023 and the first five months of 2024, the Varese Financial Policeled by the general Crescenzo Sciaraffahas carried out over 20 thousand inspections and 1,447 investigations to combat economic and financial crime and criminal infiltration into the economy: an “all-round” commitment to protect families and businesses that has brought back millions and millions of euros to citizens, and which is destined to intensify further to ensure the correct allocation of the resources of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
89 TOTAL EVASORS “FOUND”
The inspection activities made it possible to identify 89 total tax evadersi.e. operators of business or self-employed activities completely unknown to the tax authorities (many of whom operate through electronic commerce platforms) and 113 workers in “black” or irregular.
Furthermore, discovered 16 cases of international tax evasionmainly attributable to hidden permanent establishments, transfer pricing manipulations, fictitious tax residences and the illicit holding of capital across borders.
The individuals reported for tax crimes are 427, 13 of whom were arrested. Furthermore, non-existent or high-risk tax relief credits in the building and energy sectors were reported to the Revenue Agency, as well as seized goods resulting from tax evasion and fraud, for a value of almost 50 million euros.
79 proposals were made for the termination of the VAT number and cancellation from the Vies database, against economic entities characterized by tax risk profiles. There were 53 interventions regarding excise duties and protection of the fuel market. However, there are 476 customs controls on goods introduced into the national territory in tax evasion, counterfeit or in violation of safety regulations. The activities of fight against smuggling led to the seizure of almost 4500 kg of tobacco foreign workers, to the reporting of 109 subjects and one arrest.
140 REPORTED FOR CITIZENSHIP INCOME FRAUD
On the national public spending front, in the same period, 600 interventions were carried out, of which 140 related to citizenship income and new inclusion and support measures for training and work.
33 investigations were carried out on the subject of public spending, resulting in 237 individuals being reported and financial damages of over 3.5 million euros ascertained.
There is a growing collaboration in the area with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, with which 10 investigations were developed which led to the denunciation of 9 perpetrators and the execution of seizures worth over 15 million euros. On the subject of procurementassignment procedures and methods of execution of works and services for over 35 million euros were monitored.
The action of the Corps in combating crimes against the Public Administration, carried out by leveraging the particular investigative powers that characterize the economic-financial police and developing structured investigations of a technical, financial and patrimonial nature, aimed at reconstructing the criminal masterminds and the role of the subjects involved, led to the reporting of 61 subjects.
ALMOST 100 THOUSAND COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS SEIZED IN MALPENSA
In the field of money laundering and self-laundering, 23 interventions were carried out, which led to the reporting of 41 people, of which 2 were arrested, and to the proposal to seize assets worth approximately 3.5 million euros and to seizure of assets worth approximately 4.5 million euros.
Over 581 suspicious financial flows generated by operators of the anti-money laundering prevention system were investigated. The Corps’ action continued in combating every form of banking and financial illegal activity, carried out mainly through electronic channels and increasingly innovative digital tools, with the reporting of 19 subjects.
At land and sea borders, 4,241 checks were carried out on the circulation of currency, for example cross-border movements relating to almost 50 million eurosascertaining 2,493 violations.
In the field of bankruptcy crimes, 22 interventions were carried out which led to the report from 52 subjects of which 5 are under arrest, the proposed seizures amount to over 13 million euros while the value of the verified distractions is over 25 million euros. In application of the anti-mafia legislation, 19 subjects were subjected to asset checks, which led to the application of seizure, confiscation and judicial administration measures for a value of almost 8 million euros. Then, 500 checks were carried out following requests received from the Prefects of the Republic, most of which referred to functional checks for the release of anti-mafia documentation.
The departments dependent on the Provincial Command then seized 1,500 kilograms, both nationally and abroad. of narcotic substances, mainly consisting of cocaine (157 kg), hashish (31 kg) and marijuana (450 kg), reporting 268 subjects to the Judicial Authority (of which 48 are under arrest) and reporting 105 to the Prefects. In terms of protection of the goods and services market, 285 interventions were carried out, 57 powers of the Judicial Authority were developed and 144 subjects were reported. Thanks to these activities they were subjected to kidnapping, especially a Malpensa, almost 100 thousand counterfeit productswith false indication of being made in Italy, unsafe and in violation of copyright law.
