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In a shocking blow against tax fraud, the Investigative Police (PDI) has dismantled a network of businessmen involved in a sophisticated tax evasion scheme. Under the name “Operation Tributes”, this operation has brought to light a criminal network that has shocked the entire country.
More than 51 businessmen have been arrested in a broad raid that covered more than 80 homes throughout 10 regions of Chile. The deployment of the PDI revealed an astonishing amount of seized resources: more than 14 million pesos in cash, 15 thousand dollars, 22 vehicles, real estate and around 400 bank accounts.
The magnitude of this blow is evident: these actions are linked to seven criminal clans, according to reports from 24 Horas. The Western Metropolitan Prosecutor’s Office, headed by Pudahuel’s chief prosecutor, Eduardo Baeza, has identified a complex network dedicated to the use of false invoices and a network designed to hide real income and reduce tax obligations.
The crimes that these businessmen are accused of range from illicit association to customs fraud, tax crimes and money laundering. The companies involved in this scandalous fraud used ideologically false invoices, fictitious and adulterated exports, thus manipulating their tax burden illegally.
Although the exact amount of the fraud is still being evaluated, it is estimated that it exceeds 240 billion pesos, a figure derived from the issuance of around 100,000 false invoices. According to the Internal Revenue Service (SII), part of this amount, approximately 200 billion, was allocated to the acquisition of assets, generating an additional surplus of 25 billion pesos.
The complexity of this illegal scheme has been a challenge for tax authorities, who detected suspicious movements in different regions of the country. The collaboration between the PDI and the SII has been essential to discover this network of companies that provided fraudulent tax documents, benefiting final recipients who reduced their tax burden unduly.
The investigation, led by the Money Laundering Brigade (Brilac) of the PDI, in conjunction with the SII, continues. It is expected that in the detention control process before the First Guarantee Court, the businessmen will face charges for tax crimes, illicit association, money laundering and false declaration in exports.
This is an unprecedented event in the history of Chile, a blow to tax evasion that highlights the need for stricter measures to prevent and punish these financial crimes. Former prosecutor Carlos Gajardo described it as “probably the largest fraud with false invoices in our history,” emphasizing the magnitude and complexity of this crime.
Operation “Taxes” not only highlights the importance of rigorous oversight, but also highlights the need for greater awareness and compliance with tax regulations to ensure the fiscal and economic integrity of the country.
This scandal highlights the importance of constant vigilance and more rigorous preventive measures to prevent similar cases from occurring in the future. Transparency and compliance with tax regulations become more crucial than ever to preserve the nation’s financial integrity.
