France: EPPO conducts searches in probe into large-scale VAT carousel fraud
European Public Prosecutor's Office
(Luxembourg, 29 June 2026) – At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Paris (France), searches were carried out in the Paris region and six individuals were questioned as part of an investigation into a suspected multi-million VAT fraud scheme. The investigation concerns a suspected VAT ‘carousel’ fraud – a complex criminal scheme that takes advantage of EU rules on cross-border transactions between its Member States, as these are exempt from value-added tax (VAT), with an estimated damage amounting to around €13 million in evaded VAT. The investigation also concerns money laundering and participation in a criminal organisation involving 26 French companies, mainly based in the Ile-de-France region.
