Three car traders have been indicted in Berlin over allegations they helped smuggle hazardous salvage vehicles from the United States into the European Union and evade customs duties and VAT.
The indictment was filed at the Regional Court in Berlin (Landgericht Berlin I) and is the first brought in an investigation codenamed Nimmersatt, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said on Monday.
Prosecutors accuse the three defendants of participating in a criminal organisation and aiding and abetting VAT fraud at the final sales stage, causing an estimated €15 million in damage. One of the accused is in pre-trial detention.
The case follows an investigation into an alleged network importing badly damaged vehicles from the US and reselling them after cosmetic repairs, while avoiding customs duties and committing large-scale VAT fraud.
Earlier arrests in wider probe
The EPPO said it uncovered what it described as a “vast criminal network” in April 2025, after searches and arrests that led to the apprehension of alleged ringleaders and company directors.
Further arrests were carried out in February 2026 as part of the same probe.
If found guilty, the defendants face up to 15 years in prison, the EPPO said. It noted that all persons concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
