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European mobile device fraud and VAT evasion crackdowns

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2026-09-29 09:04 UTC → 2026-09-29 10:41 UTC · added ~~removed~~

European authorities have conducted major operations targeting large-scale fraudulent schemes involving mobile devices and tax evasion. In mid-September, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) dismantled a €15.7 million VAT fraud scheme operating across Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Germany. The group allegedly misused the VAT margin scheme—intended for second-hand goods—to sell new mobile phones while avoiding full tax payments. This operation resulted in four arrests and the freezing of approximately €20.5 million in assets. By late September, a larger crackdown, codenamed ‘Troja’, was launched against a criminal organization suspected of selling at least one million refurbished mobile phones as new devices. This operation involved 1,770 officials from police, tax, and customs agencies conducting searches at 160 locations across 19 countries. Investigators found that the organization assembled phones using used components in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, which were then shipped to the Netherlands, stored in Germany, and sold via online marketplaces throughout the EU. In addition to causing an estimated €300 million in consumer damage, the group is accused of misappropriating VAT regulations through shell companies in several EU countries and Switzerland, resulting in a tax loss of over €30 million. The crackdown has led to seven arrests, including two alleged leaders and a 43-year-old Ukrainian national in Düsseldorf. The investigation into the ‘Troja’ operation was initiated following a report from the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), with at least €25 million of the suspected VAT loss occurring in Germany.

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