On the 24th, Italian police conducted raids on two Amazon sites as part of an investigation into suspected smuggling of Chinese goods and violations of EU customs regulations.
Authorities suspect Amazon acted as a “Trojan Horse,” allowing large quantities of Chinese products, which had not paid customs duties and sales taxes, to flow into the Italian market. Amazon stated that the company is "committed to complying with all applicable tax laws and is fully cooperating with the relevant authorities."
According to informed sources, Italy’s financial police and customs officers seized around 5,000 products at Amazon’s logistics center in Cividate al Piano, Bergamo province, in the north. The items included toys, mobile phone cases, air fryers, ballpoint pens, and small scissors.
Sources said police also confiscated information equipment at Amazon’s Italian headquarters in central Milan, and identified the manager responsible for the movement of goods within the country.
Sources pointed out that the number of goods involved could be as high as 500,000, with dozens of Italian companies participating, many of which are believed to be shell companies set up by Chinese businesses.
Sources said the investigation is expected to expand to all 27 EU member states.
The investigation originates from a previous tax evasion case involving 1.2 billion euros (about 5.72306 billion ringgit). Prosecutors in Milan and the Monza financial police suspect that goods first entered Europe from China and then, through unknown channels, found their way into Italy, bypassing sales tax and customs duties, and were sold on the Amazon platform.
Prosecutors noted that this constitutes smuggling and violations of EU customs regulations.