# Italian Guardia di Finanza anti‑fraud operations

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/italian-guardia-di-finanza-antifraud-operations
> Updated: 2026-08-02T17:12:01.000Z. Sources: 22. Developments: 2.

In late July 2026, Italy’s financial police seized assets worth about €20 million in Trani, Apulia, after dismantling a network of 80 companies that used 32 phantom firms to issue false invoices and claim illicit VAT refunds. The operation also targeted an agricultural entrepreneur in Basilicata, confiscating assets exceeding €310 000 for alleged tax evasion.

A few days later, in early August 2026, the Guardia di Finanza expanded its crackdown. In Potenza, inspectors intensified economic‑territorial controls, uncovering tax, labour and price‑transparency violations across a range of small businesses, suspending a licence and identifying undeclared workers. In Piacenza, agents seized around 800 counterfeit branded clothing items at a weekly market, arresting the seller for trademark fraud. Both actions were presented as part of ongoing efforts to protect legal commerce, ensure fair competition and safeguard consumers.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-02: Giuseppe Costa’s €300,000 Property Seized in Anti‑Mafia Operation

Italian anti‑mafia police seized a €300,000 property owned by Giuseppe Costa, a convicted Custonaci mafia figure linked to the Di Matteo kidnapping, after finding a large asset‑income gap.

17 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/italys-guardia-di-finanza-raids-businesses-in-potenza-and-piacenza

### 2026-07-29: Italian tax police seize assets in fraud investigations in Trani and Basilicata

Italian tax police seized €20 million in Trani fraud case and over €310 000 in a Basilicata tax evasion probe, targeting phantom firms and an agricultural entrepreneur.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/italian-tax-police-seize-assets-in-fraud-investigations-in-trani-and-basilicata

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Cite as: Italian Guardia di Finanza anti‑fraud operations. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/italian-guardia-di-finanza-antifraud-operations