Veggie Scam

Published: July 23, 2014

What connects terrorists in Iraq, cleaning ladies in Ukraine, and dodgy businessmen in Turkey? Vegetables and tax fraud. A series of scams helped Al Qaeda and hurt Romanian tax officials to the tune of at least € 50 million.

Stories

Building A Highway To Crime From The Middle East Into Europe

On the morning of June 17, 2013, a judge in the Ilfov County Courthouse just outside of Bucharest began trying the case of a Swedish citizen of Iranian origin.

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Crooks Steal The Money, While Refugees Pay The Price

The crime, according to prosecutors, was tax evasion by companies importing food to Romania. But there was a new wrinkle in the scheme – set up refugees to take the blame when the crimes were discovered.

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Ukrainian Cleaners Discover They Own Companies - And Owe Taxes

Although the 47-year-old lives in Ukraine’s Odessa region, she is, according to company records, the administrator and shareholder of a Romanian vegetable trading company called Albutz Com Ltd. The company owes almost €1 million (US$ 1.29 million) to the Romanian state in unpaid taxes.

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