Nine people have been detained in Poland as part of an investigation into suspected customs fraud linked to goods imported from China via the Polish–Belarusian border.
Four suspects were placed in pre-trial detention for three months, while five others were released on conditional bail, including bans on leaving the country and requirements to report to their local police station, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) announced on Friday.
Searches were carried out at company premises and suspects’ homes and investigators seized 25 lorries and €29,500 (PLN 130,000) in cash.
Investigators suspect the group avoided paying import VAT and customs duties in Poland by falsely declaring that containers entering the EU via Małaszewicze were in transit to Belgium, when they were actually destined for warehouses in Poland. Małaszewicze is a major rail entry point for goods coming from Asia via the Polish–Belarusian border.
Suspected misuse of EU transit rules
The suspects are believed to have used the EU’s T1 customs transit procedure, which allows goods from outside the EU to enter without paying duties and VAT in the country of entry if they are then transported to another EU Member State, the EPPO said.
To obtain that exemption, investigators believe false transport documents and shell companies in other EU countries were used, even though the goods never left Poland,.
The suspected fraud caused at least €6.6 million (PLN 29,192,518) in unpaid customs duties and VAT.
The investigation began after a report by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), and was supported by Poland’s Central Bureau of Investigation and the Lublin Customs and Tax Office in Biała Podlaska.
All suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in Polish courts.
