Busy summer for Financial Crimes Squad

The Financial Crimes Squad, known in Greece as SDOE, detected illegal cigarettes and fuel, illegal grants, counterfeit products and drugs in its summer checks.

According to the data, more than 57 million packs of illegal cigarettes were detected by SDOE inspectors. Had the inspectors not found the illegal cigarettes, their trading on the market would have meant the loss of revenue from duties and taxes in excess of 11 million euros.

At the same time, six cases of violations of community subsidies were detected, with the Greek state having to proceed with the immediate recovery of the money.

Overall, the inspection mechanism of SDOE and the tax administration (AADE) carried out a record number of controls, but this time they had at their disposal electronic tools that they did not have in previous years.

Auditors target businesses suspected of tax evasion and concealment of taxable material. SDOE has helped in dealing with fraud in the VAT sector, in the fight against fuel smuggling, the illegal trade in tobacco and counterfeit products, money laundering, as well as narcotics trafficking.