In order to combat tax evasion, the Italy police have taken new measures. In border areas such as airports, immediate property seizures are carried out against tax evaders who carry large amounts of cash or valuables, especially those who owe more than 50,000 euros in taxes. This practice is designed to prevent them from transferring their property abroad and thus evading their taxes and debts.
The Italy newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that the transfer of funds or valuables abroad could involve tax evasion or attempts to conceal illicit gains, which in turn constituted money laundering. It is therefore not surprising that Italy's tax police and customs authorities carry out frequent inspections in border areas, such as ports and airports.
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Recently, the Italy tax police piloted a new inspection method at Bergamo Airport, strengthening the inspection for passengers who owe more than 50,000 euros in taxes for the first time. If a taxpayer has been unsuccessfully collected by the IRD for several times and has carried a large amount of cash or valuables out of the country, the airport police can immediately seize the cash and goods for the purpose of deducting the debt.
In practice, the IRD's investigation process is complex and time-consuming, and often by the time tax evasion is concluded and action is taken, the seizure measures are already too late. Even when the court eventually orders the confiscation, many tax evaders have already moved or hidden their assets in advance.
Therefore, although this new test method is still being piloted, it has already begun to bear fruit. Italy tax police have seized items such as cash, Rolex watches and gold bars at Bergamo airport.
Corriere della Sera Italy
Bergamo Airport, located about 40 kilometers northeast of Milan, has been expanding in recent years, and the increase in passenger traffic has led to more frequent passenger checks by the airport police and customs.
The police database is undoubtedly the key "magic weapon". Cross-checking data can quickly verify travelers' financial and identity information to help identify potential violations.
For example, a passenger with no regular income was carrying a large amount of cash in his luggage, and the police apparently had reason to suspect that the money was not coming from the wrong source.
In addition, in the past year and a half, the police have found and prosecuted 40 passengers at Bergamo airport who were improperly receiving national subsidies. Although these travelers are registered as habitual residents in Italy, they stay abroad for an excessively long period of time and are clearly not in line with the actual situation of residence.
At the same time, the police also use police dogs to assist in inspections, especially in the identification of cash, drugs and other contraband, the keen sense of smell of police dogs has greatly improved the efficiency and accuracy of inspections.
(Yi Yi Original, Editor: Shu Liao, Translation: Sasha, see the annotation for the picture source, please indicate Yi Stew: oushitalia for reprinting)