ABRUZZO. The ceremony of the 250th anniversary of the foundation of the Guardia di Finanza was celebrated in the splendid setting of the port of Giulianova.
The event was attended by the highest civil, military and religious authorities of the province.
Below, a summary operational balance sheet of the activities carried out by the Departments of the Teramo Provincial Command in 2023 and in the first five months of 2024.
“ALL-ROUNDER” COMMITMENT AGAINST CRIME TO PROTECT CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES
In 2023 and in the first five months of 2024, the Financial Police carried out 879 inspections and investigations to combat economic-financial crimes and the infiltration of crime into the economy: an “all-round” commitment to protect families and businesses , destined to intensify further to ensure the correct allocation of the resources of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
FIGHTING FRAUD AND TAX EVASION
The inspection activities made it possible to identify a total of 36 tax evaders, i.e. those carrying out business or self-employed activities completely unknown to the tax authorities (many of whom operate through electronic commerce platforms) and 136 illegal or irregular workers.
Furthermore, 5 cases of international tax evasion were discovered, mainly attributable to hidden stable organisations, transfer price manipulation, fictitious tax residences and the illicit holding of capital across borders.
The subjects reported for tax crimes are 175. Following investigations delegated by the judicial authorities, non-existent or high-risk tax relief credits in the building and energy sectors were also cautioned and reported to the Revenue Agency, as well as assets constituting the profit of tax evasion and fraud, for a value of 1,090,851 euros.
10 proposals were put forward for the termination of the VAT number and cancellation from the Vies database, against economic entities characterized by tax risk profiles.
The 29 excise duty interventions made it possible to seize 3,400 kg. of energy products. There are, however, 6 customs controls on goods introduced into the national territory in tax evasion, counterfeit or in violation of safety regulations.
The checks and investigations against illegal gaming made it possible to discover 4 irregular gaming points and to report 33 perpetrators.
PROTECTION OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE
The activity of the Financial Police in the sector of the protection of public spending is aimed at supervising the correct use of European Union and national resources, for the implementation of interventions to support businesses and families.
The directives given aim, as a priority, to monitor projects and investments financed with resources from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. In this context, 86 interventions were carried out aimed at verifying the entitlement of citizens and businesses to tax credits, contributions and financing, as well as the correct execution of the works and services covered by public tenders.
Attention is also paid to the protection of other resources of the European Union, including the aid provided for by the Common Agricultural Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy. In this regard, our departments conducted 1 intervention, ascertaining fraud, implemented through the presentation of untruthful data and false ownership titles, for 2,468,717 euros, making seizure proposals for 2,232,581 euros and reporting 10 managers .
On the national public spending front, in the same period, 240 interventions were carried out, of which 105 related to citizenship income and new inclusion and support measures for training and work.
The action to combat fraud against EU resources has led overall to ascertaining contributions unduly received for €4,563,449 while those relating to national funding, social security and welfare spending amount to €22,337,894.
As part of the collaboration with the judicial authorities – criminal and accounting – 129 investigations were carried out on the subject of public spending, resulting in 10 responsible parties being reported.
There is a growing collaboration in the area with the European Prosecutor’s Office, with which 6 investigations were developed which led to the denunciation of 8 perpetrators and the execution of seizures of 949,163 euros.
In terms of procurement, assignment procedures and methods of execution of works and services were monitored for 200,000 euros and a precautionary measure of 12,000,000 euros.
FIGHTING ORGANIZED AND ECONOMIC-FINANCIAL CRIME
In the fight against organized and economic-financial crime, the Corps’ action aims to block criminal infiltration into the legal economy and, at the same time, to protect the free market and respect for the rules of healthy competition.
In the field of money laundering and self-laundering, 10 interventions were carried out, which led to the reporting of 17 people, and the reconstruction of illicit operations for €15,876,010.
Over 184 suspicious financial flows generated by operators of the anti-money laundering prevention system were investigated.
In terms of bankruptcy crimes and the business crisis code, the seizure proposals amount to €1,732,609 out of a total of €630,156 in diverted assets.
In application of the anti-mafia legislation, 10 subjects were subjected to asset checks, which led to the application of seizure, confiscation and judicial administration measures for a value of €92,909.
Then, 1,113 checks were carried out following requests received from the Prefects of the Republic, most of which referred to checks functional to the release of anti-mafia documentation.
In the period under review, the Corps Departments seized, on national territory, 2,315 gr. of narcotic substances, mainly consisting of cocaine (59 g), hashish (1,462 g) and marijuana (112 g), reporting 27 subjects to the AG (of which 8 were under arrest) and reporting 182 to the Prefects. The fight against illicit trafficking, in general, is also ensured within the “117” Service, the subject of recent interventions in the operational, training and technical-logistic fields, aimed at increasing the operational readiness and effectiveness of the patrols’ intervention on the territory and on naval vessels, in response to citizen reports.
In terms of protection of the goods and services market, 128 interventions were carried out, 14 powers of the Judicial Authority were developed and 44 subjects were reported. Following these activities, 147,805 counterfeit products were seized, with false indication of being made in Italy, unsafe and in violation of copyright law.
RELIEF OPERATIONS AND COMPETITION IN PUBLIC ORDER AND SECURITY SERVICES
In the sector of maritime safety, the Guardia di Finanza is also renewing for the current summer season, according to an operational method launched last year, an activity aimed at achieving more effective maintenance of public order and a greater level of safety perceived by part of the community and users of the sea, through the temporary redeployment of naval units in the places with the highest vocation and tourist density that exist in the district.
The project was framed within the broader strengthening of the summer surveillance services that the Ministry of the Interior implements to support the Offices/Departments of the Police Forces operating in the main seaside resorts.
This initiative will make it possible to ensure greater proximity to sea users, even in the most valuable and tourist attraction locations that do not host a naval department of the Corps, helping to strengthen the concept of “perceived safety”.
