Dubai Police arrest suspect in alleged €40m global tax fraud

Force worked with 14 law enforcement agencies to foil alleged international crime cartel

Dubai Police arrested an Italian suspect as part of an international investigation into an alleged major tax fraud. Photo: Dubai Media Office

Dubai Police have arrested an alleged key figure in an organised crime syndicate accused of leading a sophisticated €40 million ($43.4 million) tax-fraud plot being conducted in several European countries.

The force arrested the Italian, who had travelled to the UAE from Japan, under an international crime-fighting campaign called Operation Pitstop, involving law enforcement agencies from 15 countries.

Dubai Police said the fraud was carried out by companies in Spain, Romania and Estonia but was operated from Italy.

"These companies allegedly engaged in fraudulent activities through e-commerce platforms, systematically submitting false value-added tax declarations of sales amounting to over €40 million," Dubai Media Office said on Thursday.

Several internationally wanted people were apprehended through the police operation, the office reported.

Lt Gen Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, commander-in-chief of Dubai Police, said the force was committed to working alongside global enforcement agencies to tackle complex cross-border crime.