NAV informed MTI on Tuesday that a fictitious company network of foreign and Hungarian companies created by a family from Komárom-Esztergom county imported tires from China, which were passed through Slovak, Czech and Hungarian companies in order to avoid paying taxes. With this, the sellers made it appear as if the tires imported from China were purchased in Hungary, thus avoiding the payment of VAT.
In addition to causing more than HUF 400 million in damage to the budget with this method, they also gained a competitive advantage over legally operating traders, they added.
The members of the criminal organization had several high-value properties, including a vacation home worth half a billion in the Balearic Islands under Spanish jurisdiction, they wrote.
To ensure the damage caused and the expected fine, the NAV investigators froze bank accounts, real estate, and vehicles worth HUF 1.5 billion.
With the support of IT professionals and patrols, the investigators carried out searches and seizures at home, and with the involvement of foreign authorities, searches were also carried out in Slovakia and Spain. Seven suspects were interrogated, five of them were detained, and the Tatabánya District Court ordered their arrest.
NAV is investigating budget fraud and money laundering committed in a criminal organization, the announcement states.
(Source: autokalauz.co.hu; MTI | Image: pixabay.com)