Seven of the 10 GNR arrested for tax fraud as part of the Golden Clam investigation will have to report daily to the authorities by order of the Barreiro (Setubal District) court, security forces said this Saturday.
GNR and the Revenue Authority (AT) announced on Wednesday in a joint statement that 10 people were arrested for tax fraud and 25 tons of shellfish were seized from the municipalities of Almada, Alcochete, Montijo, Seixal and Sesimbra in the district of Setúbal, as part of a police investigation related to harvesting and selling Japanese shellfish for tax fraud and money laundering purposes.
In a statement sent this Saturday to the Luz agency, GNR and AT indicate that the Barreiro court has also decided that two of the 10 detainees will have to present themselves to the authorities on a weekly basis, and another is subject to a period of identity and residence (TIR).
TIR is the least burdensome coercive measure that obliges you to report to the authorities when requested and not move or leave your place of residence for more than five days without reporting your whereabouts.
The Court of Barreiro also ordered bail of 80,000 euros, another bail of 20,000 euros and two bails of 5,000 euros, as well as a ban on contacts between suspects and a ban on visiting shellfish gathering sites.
Eight men and two women, aged between 21 and 51, were arrested, according to a statement released Wednesday.
“In a year and a half investigation involving the harvesting, storage and trade of Japanese shellfish, it was possible to establish the involvement of suspects in the crimes of qualified tax fraud, money laundering, document forgery, goods fraud, social security fraud and authenticity, quality or composition of foodstuffs,” the note read.
It could be established that the suspects “created an extensive network of suppliers and clients, national and international” with the intent to “obtain substantial property advantages without reporting it to the AT for IRS, IRC tax purposes. and VAT.
The tax facts under investigation, authorities explained, also relate to “the use of false invoices to confirm purchases of illegally captured Japanese shellfish, as well as the concealment of the proceeds of sales.”
As part of the operation, 82 search and seizure warrants were executed, 19 of them at homes and 63 at warehouses, vehicles and ships.
As a result of the operation, 25 tons of Japanese shellfish, eight heavy-duty vehicles, three boats, firearms, electric weapons, 21 cartridges of various calibers, 95,038 euros in cash, 70 unmarked volumes of tobacco, a machine for counting money and various documents were seized.
Materials for catching and packing bivalve molluscs, diving equipment and computer equipment were also seized.
The operation involved 225 operatives from HP, AT and PSP.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.