Operation Billions
51 personal precautionary measures were carried out for tax fraud, bankruptcy and money laundering as well as seizures of assets and financial resources for 24 million euros against alleged members of a criminal organization based in Reggio Emilia and operating throughout the national territory
Over 250 operators of the State Police and the Guardia di Finanza, delegated by the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Reggio Emilia, are executing 51 personal precautionary measures, of which 22 in prison, as well as 106 real precautionary measures, for a total of approximately 24 million euros, issued by the GIP of the Reggio court.
The investigation called "Billions", conducted by the Economic and Financial Police Unit of the Guardia di Finanza and by the Mobile Squad of the Reggio Emilia Police Headquarters, supported by the Central Operational Service of the State Police, made it possible to discover an association delinquere, composed of 49 subjects specialized in offering, on a "professional" basis, "services" for issuing invoices for objectively non-existent transactions, to allow the beneficiary companies to reduce their taxable income, with the carrying out of various crimes in tax matters : issue and use of false invoices in the declaration, concealment of accounting documentation and omitted tax return.
The investigators, through telephone and environmental wiretapping, observation and shadowing services, analysis of financial flows and in-depth analysis of reports for suspicious transactions, managed to identify a particularly complex association structure also dedicated to money laundering, including Abroad, self-laundering and the commission of fraudulent bankruptcy crimes.
The allegedly dismantled criminal association was composed, in fact, in an extremely structured way: at the top there were the Heads who coordinated ten operating cells that could count on shell companies (real paper mills) for the issue of invoices for non-existent operations, of professional “withdrawals” of money from ATMs and brokers of economic subjects interested in obtaining illegal financial services. At the lowest rung of the organization there was a large group of "nominees" owners of a myriad of "paper" companies that had no corporate structure and that were only used to "produce" false invoices. In this regard, a conversation, captured by the investigators, between two suspects jokingly asked each other ironically what their companies produced, replying to each other that "they produce money".
The analysis of the cash flows of the "paper mills" made it possible to reconstruct movements quantified in over 240 million euros, of which 50.000.000 euros consisted of withdrawals of cash. The amount of the round of false invoices issued was calculated at 80 million euros with a tax evaded quantified at around 24 million euros.
During the investigations, local and personal searches were carried out on several occasions, which led to the seizure of approximately 500.000 euros, of which 267.000 euros in cash, proceeds from the crimes and of which they represented the monetization.
The executive scheme of the offense first provided for the full payment of the false invoice by the beneficiary company. Subsequently, these funds were withdrawn in cash by the aforementioned "collectors", subject to the pay of the association with the task of going to various post offices and making fractional withdrawals, so as not to exceed the thresholds provided for by the anti-money laundering legislation. Finally, these sums were returned to the Heads of the association who gave them back to the beneficiary companies, net of a commission for the "service" provided.
Following a seizure carried out against a "picker", recipient of a prison measure, he had confided to his wife that having been "burned" he would no longer be able to "work" and would be forced to find a "real job".
Among the conduct charged to the suspects there is also the crime of self-laundering. The associates in fact provided, through ad hoc companies, to send bank transfers abroad in favor of community companies always controlled by them, for a total amount of 1,2 million euros, justifying the financial movements as payment for intra-community purchases, which turned out to be fictitious. The funds thus transferred were then re-invested in commercial activities located abroad and referable to the criminal organization.
On the community side, the criminal association had also organized a so-called fraud. “Carousel”, relating to the purchase and sale of cars from Germany. The investigation made it possible to ascertain the existence of a "paper mill" company based in Reggio Emilia, which purchased used vehicles for a total amount of approximately € 2 million, and of "filter" companies who interposed between the Reggio company and the car dealers who were the final sellers of the goods. This mechanism has allowed companies to evade VAT and, therefore, to market the cars on the national market at more "advantageous" prices, to the detriment of the tax authorities and free competition.
The investigations also clarified how the association had developed a complex system of fraud and subsequent self-laundering of the proceeds made to the detriment of banking institutions. In detail, in the first place I activated a current account in the name of the paper company of the association in order to establish a relationship with the banks; subsequently the fictitious solidity of the company was represented, disguising its nature as a paper mill, through the creation of a minimal structure and the formation of false documents; in this way they obtained mortgages or other forms of financing from the banks; subsequently they transferred the money received to the accounts of the other companies of the association in order to be reused in the mechanism for issuing false invoices.
During the investigations it was also ascertained that the suspects were also responsible for bankruptcy crimes. They have in fact led to the bankruptcy of four companies used as paper mills, distracting, largely through cash withdrawals, a total of more than 7 million euros. Taking into account the large tax debt of the bankrupt companies, it goes without saying that once again it was the tax authorities that suffered the greatest damage from fraudulent conduct.
During the investigation it was also possible to monitor a conflict between the associates and a criminal group attributable to the GIARDINO family of Verona, a city in which some members of the association had suffered the theft of 50.000 euros in cash that should have been due serve to finance an illegal operation. On that occasion, one of the leaders of the association was involved, recipient of a detention measure in prison and already sentenced in the AEMILIA trial to settle the issue.
Among the recipients of detention there is a further prominent subject of Calabrian crime, who was one of the protagonists of the `ndrangheta war fought in Reggio Emilia in the 90s.
Lastly, having ascertained that 9 of the suspects were beneficiaries of income / citizenship pension, with a total payment of over 80.000 euros, further inspections are underway for the immediate revocation of the benefit and the recovery of sums unduly received.