The investigation carried out by the UDEF of the National Police into the hydrocarbon operator Biomar Oil has highlighted one of the largest VAT frauds committed to date in the hydrocarbon sector. Additionally, in a house in Ávila … discovered a sweatshop of firearms with 44 weapons, some modified and with serial numbers obliterated, war munitions and an armored war vehicle with a large caliber machine gun installed.
So far, officers have verified that the fraud amounts to approximately 300 million euros between the years 2023 and 2024. Eight people were arrested and ten others were investigated as allegedly responsible for crimes of money laundering, against the Public Treasury, membership in a criminal organization and illicit possession of weapons.
During the nine searches, more than 130,000 euros were seized, 167 luxury watches, financial assets exceeding 14,000,000 euros and accounts worth more than 12,500,000 euros, more than 3,600,000 liters of fuel, 60 high-end vehicles and 46 properties were blocked.
Investigations into Biomar Oil began in early 2023 when UDEF Central became aware of major economic movements of companies dedicated to the hydrocarbon trade compatible with possible money laundering. Two operators have allegedly systematically failed to meet their tax obligations: non-payment of VAT.
As the investigation progressed, agents discovered that there may have been a single criminal organization behind the two oil companies carrying out these illegal operations which caused great concern among the rest of the companies in the hydrocarbon sector. The criminal network offered the product to prices much lower than the usual real value market due to non-compliance with tax rules.
Low price
As the investigations progressed, they verified how this criminal network could sell the fuel even at a price lower than the purchase price, that is to say at a loss. They offered fuel to intermediary companies and gas stations much lower prices than those of any competitor who has complied with its tax obligations.
On the other hand, they did not comply with sectoral regulations relating to biofuels which require the payment of a compensatory payment, which also resulted in another non-payment of approximately 40,000,000 eurosin the event of non-use of biofuel, obtaining in these two ways a large economic margin to offer its supplies.
Inmates offered fuel at gas stations at prices much lower than their competitors.
The managers had their own tax warehouse to store the fuel, an unusual technique in the sector since it is common for them to use the services of third-party companies. Furthermore, this organization wanted to continue this criminal activity because, thanks to the illicit profits obtained through first oil operator, They were able to create and register a second operator to continue the criminal activity.
Likewise, they even created a third oil operator with whom they also began to operate fraudulently, although he was excluded from the business. Register of Tax Deposit Extractors (REDEF) thus preventing it from continuing to extract and sell products, which is why the amount defrauded by this third operator did not reach the crime rate.
The organization had a hierarchical structure headed at the top by two partners under whose command were the financial directors who controlled the accounts and were in charge of all the company’s accounting.
Millions for the frontline men
On the last step were the workers, many of whom were unaware of the criminal activity being carried out. Finally, without being part of this structure, there were the straw men they selected to lend their identity and thus appear responsible for the tax obligations generated by the oil operators, one of them reaching receive remuneration of approximately 2,000,000 euros.
Once investigators managed to identify all the members of this organization, a police force was formed on December 2, carrying out nine simultaneous entries and searches, in 7 homes in Madrid and Ávila and 2 offices in the Madrid capital, where more than 140,000 euros, 167 luxury watches worth around 2,000,000 euros and financial assets exceeding 14 000,000 euros. euros. Furthermore, accounts worth more than 12,500,000 euros, more than 3,600,000 liters of fuel, 60 high-end vehicles worth more than 3,000,000 euros and 46 properties worth more than 5,000,000 euros were blocked.
In one of the houses located in Ávila, the agents discovered an authentic clandestine workshop of firearms and war munitions. They intervened 44 firearms, some with serial number erased and modified with silencersmunitions of war and an armored war vehicle with a large-caliber machine gun installed on top.
On the loose
National Court judge Antonio Piña agreed last week to release with precautionary measures the three detainees from the operation who were presented to the court. Legal sources consulted by ABC indicated that the magistrate accepted the monthly appearance of the three accused, managers of this operator, as well as the withdrawal of the passport and the ban on leaving Spain. This follows the criteria of the public prosecutor who was interested in these precautionary measures during the visit organized at the National court this Wednesday. It should be remembered that the investigating judge can never agree to measures more serious than those requested by the prosecution.
In addition to these three arrests, five other arrests were made, although the latter were released directly by the police. Central Economic and Fiscal Delinquency Unit (UDEF) of the National Police. The sources in the file indicate that the crimes accused of those investigated are membership in a criminal organization, money laundering and against the Public Treasury.
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