The Hague, 29 January 2025
German and Slovenian authorities, with the support of Eurojust, conducted a coordinated action today against the illegal trafficking and posting of foreign building labourers and tax evasion. During the action day, the three main suspects were arrested in Germany. Their illegal activities deprived the German tax authorities of approximately EUR 12 million.
The alleged perpetrators had set up at least two Slovenian shell companies as subcontractors or service providers to facilitate the posting of Bosnian workers on German building sites, mainly in the Kassel area of Hesse. The Bosnian labourers were illegally trafficked to Germany with fake work visas and without paying social security contributions. The service companies were also used to issue fake invoices to avoid taxation and to pay the workers in cash.
Investigations into the fraud were initiated in 2022 by the Public Prosecution Office (PPO) of Kassel in Germany. Eurojust enabled cooperation with the Slovenian authorities and organised two coordination meetings in 2024. The Agency also facilitated the sharing of information, the transmission and execution of European Investigation Orders, and the organisation of the joint action day.
During this action day, over 300 German officers were deployed to conduct 21 searches in Germany (Hesse, Bremen and Munich) and Slovenia. German officials participated in the searches in Slovenia. Several bank accounts were frozen and computer equipment, mobile phones and three vehicles also seized. .
The operations were carried out at the request of and by the following authorities:
- Germany: PPO Kassel; Head Office of Customs and Excise (Hauptzollamt) Giessen
- Slovenia: District State Prosecutor’s Office in Ljubljana; Police Directorate Ljubljana, Criminal Police Division, Economic Crime Section
Source – Eurojust