started · updated
Operation Hermes: 11 defendants detained in Portuguese VAT fraud probe
The Lisbon Judicial Court has ordered the preventive detention of 11 defendants as part of Operation Hermes, a major investigation into a suspected VAT fraud scheme involving the trade of mobile phones and electronic equipment.
The operation, directed by the European Public Prosecutor's Office, has resulted in the detention of 39 individuals in Portugal and the execution of 248 searches across various municipalities, including Aveiro and Oliveira de Azeméis. Authorities estimate that the alleged tax fraud has caused losses exceeding 150 million euros to the Portuguese state.
The legal proceedings have been divided into two distinct processes. One involves 21 defendants, 11 of whom are in preventive detention while 10 remain free under bail and periodic reporting requirements. A second process involving four defendants focuses on qualified tax fraud; three of these individuals were ordered to pay bail amounts ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 euros and are subject to weekly reporting and contact prohibitions.
Entities
European Public Prosecutor's Office · Lisbon Judicial Court · Plenitudeangular · Polícia Judiciária · Portugal
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The alleged tax fraud in Portugal is estimated to have caused losses of over 150 million euros. www.correiodamanhacanada.com · jornaleconomico.sapo.pt
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Lisbon Judicial Court ordered preventive detention for 11 defendants in Operation Hermes. www.correiodamanhacanada.com · jornaleconomico.sapo.pt
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Authorities conducted 248 searches across Portugal as part of the operation.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The investigation is directed by the European Public Prosecutor's Office regarding VAT fraud in the mobile phone trade. www.correiodamanhacanada.com · jornaleconomico.sapo.pt
- [● 2 SOURCES] In a separate process involving four defendants, three were ordered to pay bail up to 100,000 euros. www.correiodamanhacanada.com · jornaleconomico.sapo.pt
- [● 3 SOURCES] Operation Hermes involved the detention of 39 suspects in Portugal. www.correiodamanhacanada.com · jornaleconomico.sapo.pt