Italy uncovers 15 million euro fuel additive tax fraud

Italian authorities have uncovered a tax fraud scheme involving fuel additives worth over 15 million euros. The investigation, dubbed ‘Operation Improver’ and coordinated by the Prosecutor's Office of Genoa, alleges that companies used shell entities in the United Kingdom and Switzerland to evade excise duties and taxes.

According to the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM), these foreign companies lacked real operational structures and were managed from the Tigullio area in Italy. The scheme reportedly involved mislabeling chemical products on transport documents to bypass excise requirements, presenting them as non-taxable substances.

Investigators analyzed over 300,000 bank transactions and utilized telephone interceptions and surveillance across several northern Italian regions. The operation resulted in the search of six homes and four offices, the seizure of sixteen electronic devices, and preventive seizures of assets from three companies. A tax consultant identified as an operational manager of the group is among those under investigation.