Luxury vehicle fraud and tax evasion investigations in Porto

Portuguese authorities have launched investigations into sophisticated fraud schemes involving high-end vehicles. In Vila Nova de Gaia, the Judiciary Police arrested two men, aged 39 and 41, for their alleged involvement in a luxury vehicle trafficking and fraud scheme. The suspects are accused of theft, extortion, document forgery, and tax fraud. Investigators report that the men allegedly imported high-end cars from the United States and falsified documentation to obtain European Union license plates to evade taxes. Additionally, reports indicate the suspects allegedly used luxury vehicles to promote illegal gambling.

In a related development, the National Republican Guard conducted Operation Invoice, which included over 30 searches across the districts of Aveiro, Braga, Porto, and Santarém. This operation targets a suspected VAT fraud scheme involving the purchase and resale of used vehicles from various European Union member states, with estimated fiscal losses exceeding two million euros. These searches resulted in the arrest of a 47-year-old man suspected of possessing prohibited weapons and the seizure of seven firearms and ammunition.