An image of officials and the company initials (Credit: Cronache Maceratesi)
The police operation, titled Operation ‘Fast Print’, saw a “giant tax fraud” revealed across the country.
The Recycler reported last week that officials from the Guardia di Finanza (GdF) in Ascoli Piceno uncovered the scam, which involved counterfeit toner cartridges and toner. The fraud involved the “trade of information technology products, toner and cartridges” and extended across the region of l’Abruzzo, with 78 companies and 87 people respectively “in the viewfinder” and “reported in various capacities” to be involved, some in recycling.
Cronache Maceratesi (Italian) has now reported a list of initials for the companies involved in the fraud, specifically in relation to their city locations across Italy. These include: M.L. in Agrigento; C.G.A. in Alessandria; M.L. and N.E. in Ascoli Piceno; B.G. in Bergamo; M.R. in Bologna; B.L.E.G. in Brescia; C.G. in Brindisi; F.G. in Cosenza; B.M. in Cuneo; C.T. in Ferrara; K.S.J. in Frosinone; and D.D.C. in Latina.
Others consisted of: S.S. in Lecce; R.A. in Livorno; Z.A. in Lodi; B.C. in Pisa; and a wide range in Milan. These included: R.G.; L.R.; C.D.; C.I.O.; S.C.M.; O.T.; V.E.; A.A.; D.D.A.A.; B.V.; B.S.; M.B.; G.A.; S.A.; R.M.; M.F.; C.D.; C.N.; B.G.; B.R.; C.V.; S.L.; S.G.; C.B.; P.G.M.; L.C.F.; and R.E. In Napoli, five companies were named as C.E., P.C., P.A., N.M., and G.A, while in Novara M.A. was named, and Palermo A.M., G.A., M.C., G.U.F.D., T.A., S.C. and M.G.
Further company initials revealed included: M.A. in Perugia; B.M. in Pesaro; C.D. in Reggio Calabria; and another wide range in Rome. These consisted of: G.C.; I,M.; A.P.; D.A.; B.P.; L.M.; F.A.; M.R.; G.M.; M.C.; P.G.; G.A.; C.G.B.; P.G.; M.L.; B.E.; D.A.L.; C.G.; and G.D. The final few revealed included: B.F. in Salerno; D.A. and D.B.M. in Teramo; S.D. and R.S. in Treviso; S.M.U. in Varese; and P.F. and C.A. in Vicenza. A video with more images of the raids can be viewed below.
The investigation took place after a check on a “batch of cartridges and toners” that were listed with “cut prices”, and which were found to be counterfeit. The investigation found that those involved “issued false invoices” for €484,690,000 ($543,740,183), and the so-called “carousel fraud” saw companies withhold taxes worth €396 million ($444 million) in revenues, €109 million ($122 million) in terms of LRAP (regional tax on productive activities), €8.5 million ($9.5 million) in “wrongly deducted costs”, €1.5 million ($1.6 million) “not paid”, and VAT violations of €147 million ($164 million).
The fraud also saw those involved incorporate a stock of VAT credits worth €70 million ($78 million), authorities surmising the scam included the “concealment and destruction of accounting documentation” and “use of money and assets of illicit origin” worth €861,000 ($965,896). The scam also reportedly involved the “introduction into the state of counterfeit products and stolen goods”, with tax audits undertaken of financing companies “that had provided” counterfeit cartridges and toner for a “known brand”, with this particular company’s “entire supply chain in Italy market[ing] cartridges and counterfeit toner”.
Products were shipped directly to buyers without “entering the actual availability” of the company, which issued false sales invoices to “nationalise the goods” in each country through “filter companies”.
The article concluded that with this mechanism, the suspects affected legitimate business competition and participated in tenders “for the supply of products to the public administration by offering rock-bottom prices”.
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