According to the conclusions of the specialists of the Tax and Customs Police Department of the SRS, the criminal group implemented a tax evasion scheme and it was implemented in the field of taxi services. By carrying out a series of operational and investigative activities, it was found that the companies involved in the scheme avoided paying taxes from the beginning of 2022 to the end of 2023, causing losses to the state budget in the amount of more than 367,221 euros.
According to Olga Bogdanova, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Finance for Tax Administration and Limitation of the Shadow Economy, the taxi industry is recognized as one of the sectors with high risks of non-payment of taxes and non-compliance with tax laws in Latvia. Accordingly, it is one of the priority sectors in the country, which is studied and paid attention to in addition to the measures contained in the Shadow Economy Curtailment Plan for 2024-2027, and including the motivational measures for increasing tax morale to reduce the shadow economy.
Bogdanova also emphasizes that precisely as a result of the detection, monitoring and active action of the mentioned risks, as well as when carrying out preventive actions, the implemented measures have resulted in the work done by the SRS Tax and Customs Police Department, stopping the criminal group in the field of taxi services.
As part of the initiated criminal proceedings, employees of the SRS Tax and Customs Police Department carried out procedural activities in Riga, Jurmala and Salaspils, including ten searches of the residences, offices, legal addresses and cars of the persons involved in the criminal proceedings.
During the searches, evidence important to the criminal process was found and removed, including – mobile phones, computers, stamps, data carriers, ID cards of third parties and accounting documents, which will be analyzed in the further course of the pre-trial investigation of the criminal process. Arrests were imposed on 58 cars to secure property issues.
In connection with the activities of the criminal group, the Tax and Customs Police of the SRS has initiated criminal proceedings according to the features of criminal offenses provided for in the second part of Article 218 and the second part of Article 195 of the Criminal Law.
Five persons were arrested for the mentioned criminal offences, three of them were given a security measure – detention.
In the interests of the investigation, more information is not being provided at this time.
According to Article 19 of the Law on Criminal Procedure, no person is considered guilty until he is found guilty of committing a criminal offense in accordance with the procedures specified in the Law on Criminal Procedure.
Tags: SRS suspends activity criminal group field taxi services Diena
