In September 2021, the EPPO reported on two cases in which the Office successfully cooperated with the Guardia di Finanza in Italy. In the first case (reported on 8 September 2021), the Guardia di Finanza of Genoa executed a preventive seizure order of over €200,000, at the request of the EPPO, against a Ligurian company that evaded the payment of border duties by declaring a false origin of imported goods.

The second case (reported on 17 September 2021) concerned a smuggling case involving personal protective equipment during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. At the request of the EPPO, the Guardia di Finanza of Ravenna seized more than €11 million assets and over 3.5 million FFP 2 medical masks. Investigations, which are led by the EPPO, revealed that an Italian company doing business with paramedical products gained unlawful benefits from tax exemptions. It also sold FFP 2 medical masks to hospitals that turned out to be unsuitable and put hospital staff at health risks. (TW)