Portugal

“VAT Carsel”: PJ carries out hundreds of searches and dozens of arrests for suspected million dollar fraud

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 07/10/2026, 09:26:25 UTC.

Briefings

A Portuguese police and EU prosecutor launched a major economic crime operation targeting suspected million-dollar VAT fraud. The operation, named Hermes, involves 700 inspectors and 300 tax authorities, targeting 250 vehicles across 40 detention orders. It focuses on a 'carrossel do IVA' scheme using 'phantom companies' to evade VAT on simulated mobile phone accessories, with potential corruption and money laundering charges.

Key points

• The operation targets a VAT fraud scheme involving 'phantom companies' that charge VAT on simulated mobile phone accessories without declaring it to the tax authorities.
• The operation involves 700 inspectors and 300 tax authorities, with 40 detention orders targeting 250 vehicles across 40 locations.

Context

This is a briefing on a major economic crime operation in Portugal. The source indicates the operation is ongoing and involves multiple agencies including police and EU prosecutors. The specific mechanism involves 'phantom companies' used to evade VAT on simulated mobile phone accessories.

Limitations

The evidence is limited to the article's description of the operation's scope, agencies involved, and the specific fraud mechanism. It does not confirm the exact number of victims, the total amount of money lost, or the specific outcomes of the investigations beyond the stated suspicion of corruption and money laundering.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 25/10/2026, 15:15:47 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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