The 26 defendants—comprising 11 individuals and 15 companies—were charged in December 2023 by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) with 81 offenses, including criminal association, aggravated tax fraud, money laundering, and document forgery.
The trial, part of Operation “Admiral,” commenced on October 31, 2024, during which several defendants partially confessed to the charges against them in court.
According to the indictment, the scheme was allegedly orchestrated by a Portuguese man and a French man, aged 52 and 35, respectively. It involved purchasing electronic products from European suppliers and selling them online. This process reportedly employed fraudulent means to unlawfully obtain exemptions from Value Added Tax (VAT).
The alleged activities occurred between 2016 and November 2022, resulting in estimated damages of around 80 million euros in Portugal and approximately 2.9 billion euros across the European Union.
Initially, a 27th individual was also charged by the EPPO, but their trial was suspended, contingent upon meeting specific obligations.
