Operation Troja: seven arrests over a million used phones allegedly sold as new
More than 160 searches across nineteen countries target a suspected international consumer and VAT fraud network.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office announced on 29 September that more than 160 searches and seizures had been carried out in nineteen countries since 26 September. Seven suspects were arrested in Austria, Germany and Spain, including two alleged leaders. Romania, Portugal, Poland, Italy and Switzerland were among the countries where operations took place.
Investigators allege that the network sold more than a million used mobile phones as new. Estimated consumer losses amount to at least €300 million, alongside more than €30 million in suspected VAT losses. A total of 1,770 police, tax and customs officers took part in the operation led by European prosecutors in Cologne.









































