They disclosed a tax crime involving BGN 50 million worth of truffles in Plovdiv

An organized criminal group has been revealed – people who hired fake truffle pickers, who engaged in fictitious activities and whose companies reported profits of 50 million levs to the tax authorities. This was stated by Rumen Popov, deputy appellate prosecutor during a special briefing, journalist of Plovdiv24.bg. Currently, two of the criminals have been arrested and are in custody.The criminal group raised money through tax crimes. They employed 63 people as mushroom pickers, but they didn’t carry out any activity, they didn’t even recognize the different types of forest mushrooms, it emerged from the words of the deputy prosecutor of appeal.

According to the documents, they collected truffles and for 6 months the declared profit was BGN 50 million and the VAT due was BGN 12 million.

“The state was damaged by BGN 1 million,” said Rumen Popov.

After searches and seizures of 20 homes, documents, stamps and other evidence of criminal activity were seized, witnesses were interrogated. On December 5, three members of the criminal group were arrested after trying to get a bank loan. They were supplying shell goods to shell companies across the country.

Two charges of money laundering were brought against two individuals, while the role of a third party is being clarified. They are looking for further involvement in criminal activity. The group has been learned to be involved in other serious criminal acts in addition to tax offenses and money laundering. The main organizer and his assistant, who are actually the inmates, had managerial positions in the companies.

The crimes were committed within two years from 2020 to 2022 in Plovdiv and Pazardzhik.

Find out more in the video.