Greek customs broker caught with €3mn cash in China-linked fraud probe

Laura Kövesi (pictured), the EU’s chief prosecutor, described the case as the bloc’s biggest-ever seizure of containers and said it reveals a “massive” effort to evade customs duties and VAT. According to EPPO, the fraud involved misdeclaring Chinese imports such as e-bikes and textiles, which were registered as cheaper items like tyres or chains to avoid anti-dumping tariffs. The scheme was allegedly facilitated by corrupt officials, with two Greek customs officers and four brokers now facing charges.

The investigation spans 14 countries and is estimated to have deprived EU and national budgets of more than €800mn in unpaid taxes. Kövesi said VAT fraud is increasingly attractive to criminal groups, costing the EU around €50bn annually, and emphasised that Chinese networks are playing a central role, aiming to dominate supply chains by undercutting European producers.

The probe began with suspicious customs filings in Greece and Italy, where thousands of incorrect declarations were traced back to shell companies and strawmen. Officials at Piraeus acknowledged that the case is “the tip of the iceberg,” citing weak scanning systems and heavy traffic at the Chinese state-backed Cosco-controlled port.