GNR agents have seized thousands of documents, more than 1,700 vehicles and other goods totaling €44 million.
There have been 30 arrests in Operation Medusa which is investigating the buying of seized vehicles and their subsequent sale and the use of 'scam company insolvencies.'
The Fiscal Action Unit of the GNR made 91 searches at houses and at law and accountancy firms’ offices while making 30 people official defendants for criminal association, qualified embezzlement, credit fraud, tax fraud, qualified tax fraud, money laundering and forgery of documents.
Operation Medusa focused on Lisbon, Santarém, Setúbal and Faro and looked into the purchase and sale of motor vehicles involving a group of about 30 individuals and 70 legal professional who since 2013 have been selling off vehicles that have been seized in lieu of debts to the state.
The people involved in today’s operation were from the GNR and the Tax and Customs Authority, plus two judges and two prosecutors who participated in the searches.
Documents and computer records were seized plus 1,449 cars and trade vehicles, four guns, 70 gold pieces, 20 computers, 44 mobile phones, 10 'tablets' and 50 watches with a presumed value of €44 million" according to the GNR.
The illegality 'surrounds the buying and selling of repossesed vehicles along with vehicles subject to seizure orders whereby the assets are part of insilvency proceedings of third party companies.'
It is known that banks and creditors have been affected and that the scam has had a financial impact on 'many families.'
The police will reveal nothing more, except that some of the vehicles "may have been destined for the African and the South American markets," according to the GNR spokesman.
