The Romanian Police started on Wednesday morning (October 1) house searches at 46 addresses in Bucharest and Ilfov, Buzau, Giurgiu and Teleorman counties. The operation targets Romanian and Italian citizens who allegedly carried out illegal vegetable and fruit sales, according to a statement of the Romanian Police.

“With the purpose to deduct taxes to the state budget, the people investigated allegedly recorded fictitious purchases and sales in the accountancy books, carried out via 15 ghost companies between December 2013 and august 2014. This way, they created a damage of some EUR 2 million,” reads the statement.

Some 170 police officers take part in this operation, and 27 people will be taken in for questioning.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com