NewsChile police bust $300m tax fraud: 51 entrepreneurs arrested

Chile police bust $300m tax fraud: 51 entrepreneurs arrested

The biggest operation in the history of the Chilean police (illustrative photo)
The biggest operation in the history of the Chilean police (illustrative photo)
Images source: © Getty Images | Cristóbal Olivares/ Bloomberg

3:21 AM EST, December 21, 2023

After a lengthy and complex investigation, a special brigade of the Chilean investigative police uncovered and dismantled a large-scale criminal operation. As a result, 51 entrepreneurs associated with seven criminal clans were apprehended in ten different districts of the country. The charges against them include a series of grave crimes, such as customs and tax fraud and large-scale money laundering.

Authorities seized hundreds of vehicles

The Chilean newspaper "La Tercera" provided a detailed report on Wednesday about the coordinated operation that unfolded simultaneously all over the country. As per the details in the article, the police seized 365 cars that had been unlawfully procured and used for criminal activities.

Through the course of the investigation, it was determined that over a hundred entrepreneurs based in Chile or originally from the country had issued more than a hundred thousand counterfeit invoices, causing substantial losses for the Chilean state treasury. The losses from tax fraud alone within the operation amounted to at least three hundred million dollars.

The "La Tercera" newspaper labeled this police operation as "the largest in the country's history". This event signifies a milestone in Chile's fight against organized crime and demonstrates the authorities' commitment to eradicate this kind of crime.

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