Major Blow by European Public Prosecutor’s Office Against China via… Piraeus

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has carried retired the largest instrumentality seizure successful EU past at Piraeus port, dismantling transgression networks that smuggled Chinese goods into Europe, causing losses of much than €800 million.

The Operation

The investigation, code-named “Calypso”, led to the apprehension of six individuals – 2 customs officials and 4 brokers – charged with engagement successful a large-scale customs fraud scheme.

A full of 2,435 containers were seized astatine Piraeus, Greece’s largest port, majority-owned by China’s authorities company COSCO. The shipments, mainly e-bikes, e-scooters, textiles, and footwear, had been fraudulently imported to debar anti-dumping duties.

The strategy outgo the EU fund an estimated €350 cardinal successful unpaid customs duties and €450 cardinal successful VAT losses.

The Charges

• Customs officials face charges of repeated mendacious certification.
• Brokers are accused of customs fraud and incitement of mendacious declarations.

According to EPPO, the networks operated for astatine slightest 8 years, engaging successful large-scale tax evasion and wealth laundering, with profits funneled backmost to China.

Kövesi’s Statement

EPPO’s Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruța Kövesi declared: “These highly organized transgression networks person specialized successful this benignant of fraud for years. Operation Calypso sends them a wide message: harmless havens nary longer exist.”

She stressed the request for systematic cooperation with police, customs, and taxation authorities crossed each subordinate states.

A Message to US, China – and Greece

The cognition carries wider geopolitical significance:

• It comes arsenic the US pressures Europe to toughen its stance connected China implicit Russian lipid purchases.
• It confirms the independence and effectiveness of EPPO, which is besides investigating cases involving the Greek government.
• It exposes the ineffectiveness of Greek authorities – seashore guard, fiscal police, customs, and judiciary – raising suspicions of deep-rooted corruption.

Goods Worth €250 Million

The seized cargo is valued astatine approximately €250 million. Among them, 500 containers of e-bikes alone correspond a fund nonaccomplishment of €25 cardinal successful customs duties and €12.5 cardinal successful VAT.

Preliminary investigation shows that transgression organizations declared only 10–15% of the imported products.