Financial Crime Division looking into phony companies in Bulgaria

The "Achilles heel" of the Greek economy is destined to be the exodus from Greece to Bulgaria, where they set up fake companies, which they then use to acquire luxy cars, managing in that way to escape thousands of euros of taxation.

The neighbhoring country is a "paradise" for several professionals in Northern Greece's transport sector. More and more owners of such companies are putting on bulgarian plates on their heavy vehicles and continue to operate within Greece, free of any charge.

The loss to the Greek state are enormous and the evidence so far points to the fact that nothing can stop the trend of Northern Greeks to buying luxury cars cheaply or operating a business in the neighbhoring country.

In the Financial Crime division (SDOE) of police, dozens of complaints from citizens arrive daily, referring on that phenomenon and asking for the intervention of authorities to help put a stop to this phenomenon. On occasion, these reports have mobilized SDOE to form investigations in order to track down law-breakers and impose fines and penalties to them, since Easter.

During the investigations, Financial Crime investigators are cooperating with taxation and police authorities in the neighbhoring country in order to check first whether the companies which appear to be the owners of the cars are actually doing business in Bulgaria, or if they are phony, with the sole purpose of tax evasion and the purchase of more tax-free limousines.