NEWS: Italian police arrest VAT fraud ring leaders in €78m EPPO probe

Regulatory Watch News

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  OLAF supports major cross-border operation into hazardous waste trafficking network

  OLAF

  May 27, 2026

  The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has played an important role in supporting the operation code-named Coal of the Alps (Carbone delle Alpi), which uncovered a complex cross-border scheme involving systemic circumvention of EU’s waste legislation. The case exposed a sophisticated criminal network active in Italy, Austria, Germany, Croatia, Serbia and Switzerland. It was led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Trento, and coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Directorate and in close cooperation with Carabinieri – in particular Nucleo Operativo Ecologico di Trento, other Italian authorities, Europol, Eurojust and national authorities across Member States.

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  Greece: New GRECO report assesses progress in anti-corruption measures for the central government and law enforcement

  GRECO

  May 27, 2026

  GRECO has today made public its Fifth Round Second Compliance Report on Greece,  setting out an assessment of the progress made by the country in implementing GRECO’s recommendations to prevent corruption and promote integrity in central government (top executive functions) and law enforcement agencies. Greece will report back to GRECO on progress in 2027. The report was adopted by GRECO at its 102nd Plenary Meeting, held in Strasbourg from 23 to 27 March 2026.

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  8 arrested in a hit against criminal network smuggling Cuban nationals into Spain

  Europol

  May 27, 2026

  Spanish National Police (Policía National), with the support of Europol and the Serbian Criminal Investigation Directorate, (Управа криминалистичке полиције), have dismantled a transnational criminal network involved in the smuggling of Cuban nationals from Cuba to Spain through the Western Balkan region. The criminal organisation, operating from Spain and Serbia, is allegedly involved also in document fraud and money laundering.