Criminal prosecution for a total of 31 acts was brought, on a case-by-case basis, by the Thessaloniki prosecutor against the 17 arrested – among them a customs officer and a port officer – who are accused of involvement in frauds amounting to at least 175,000 euros to the detriment of the Greek State through the process of returning the Special Tax Fuel consumption (EFK) .

The case was revealed after a months-long investigation by the Internal Affairs Service of the Security Forces of Northern Greece, with the assistance of the Sub-Directorate of the Economic Police of Northern Greece, while the arrests of the persons involved, among them gas station owners liquid fuels, coastal fishing vessel owners and fishermentook place in the previous 24 hours in Thessaloniki, Kavala and Serres.

The public prosecutor charged them with bribery and bribery of an employee (and complicity in this act), money laundering, gang, false certification and moral turpitude, issuance and acceptance of fictitious invoices, patronage of a criminal, fraud, breach of official confidentiality, theft, acceptance of proceeds of crime, etc.

The defendants were referred to apologize to the 1st Special Investigator of Thessaloniki from whom they were given a deadline to apologize in the next few days and until then they remain in custody.

According to an announcement by EL.AS., the alleged action of the gang members has at least begun since last April 2023for the purpose of illegal fuel tax refunds or the sale of contraband fuel.

As stated in the announcement, “owners of coastal fishing vessels managed to falsely ensure supply with fuel, in coastal fishing vessels of their interests, using virtual fuel purchase tax details which were supplied by owners– responsible gas stations of liquid fuels”.

In this way, the owners of the boats became beneficiaries of the collection of sums of money from the return of the tax on fuel, while the gas station owners did not return – as the case may be – the stipulated VAT.

From 30 to 1000 euros the fee

A decisive contribution to the illegal activity – according to the same announcement – were made by customs and the porterwho were, as the case may be, responsible for controlling the supply of coastal fishing vessels with tax-free fuel and the application of the applicable legislation for fishing activity, but also the control of the Vessels’ Bridge Calendar, as stated by the Legislation.

“In the context of the performance of their duties, by actions or omissions, they facilitated the commission of the above offenses by the members of the criminal group, receiving unfair benefits and in particular the customs officer received up to 1,000 euros, while the port officer from 30 to 100 euros”, it is pointed out in the same notice regarding the alleged remuneration received by the two civil servants. After achieving their goal, the gang members proceeded, on occasion, to repeatedly and professionally store and distribute contraband fuel to a network of their clients.

The estimated damage for the Greek State

From the preliminary investigation it emerged that the loss of the Greek State both from the illegal refund of the fuel tax and from the non-payment of VAT, is estimated to be at least 175,000 euros, while the total amount of money that the members reaped from the tax refunds exceeds the 340,000 euros.

In fact, the issuance of fictitious invoices allegedly by the gas station owners involved amounts to 260,000 euros, while the repeated professional storage and distribution of illegal fuel exceeds 25 tons.