2024-04-08 09:22:57
The SRC has revealed a particularly large case of non-payment of taxes, duties and other payments of around 630 million AMD. The anti-smuggling department of the SRC continues to implement functions aimed at ensuring economic security.
Thus, during the years 2022-2023, by two companies resident in Armenia, goods of Iranian origin with a total weight of about 820 tons were imported from the Republic of Iran to the Republic of Armenia and registered under the “customs warehouse” customs procedure. namely, internal combustion engine oils, hydraulic system oils and gearbox oils, which were then re-exported to Georgia, according to the documents.
The SRC informs that as a result of the complex analytical and control work carried out by the Syunik Regional Department of the Anti-Smuggling Department and the Law Enforcement Cooperation and Information Analysis Department, a suspicion arose that the process may have been organized to pay taxes to the RA state budget. and to avoid payment of duties. In order to verify the data, the customs operations carried out by the companies were taken under control, and a decision was made to actually inspect the trucks at the exit border checkpoint in case of imports and then re-exports by the aforementioned companies.
Once again, in December 2023, 87.6 tons of mineral oil of internal combustion engine of Iranian origin was imported from the Islamic Republic of Iran to the territory of Armenia by 4 trucks through the customs point of Meghri. The trucks, upon arriving in Yerevan, were formalized under the customs procedure of “customs warehouse”, after which they were already “re-exported” under the customs procedure and their export to Georgia was allowed.
On December 29, 2023, the mentioned trucks entered the territory of the Bagratashen customs point-department of the Eastern Customs Department, after which the “customs transit” customs procedure was completed by the employee of the customs body and the export of goods to Georgia was allowed. After completing the process of customs formalities of the mentioned vehicles, the employees of the MDP Department subjected the trucks to customs inspection. As a result, it was found that the covers installed on the trucks are harmless, however, the 87.6 tons of mineral oils mentioned in the re-export declarations are missing from the semi-trailers of the trucks.
The materials compiled in connection with the case were transferred to the main department of investigation of economic crimes and smuggling of the RA Investigative Committee, where criminal proceedings were initiated in accordance with the features of Article 290, Part 3, Clause 2 of the RA Criminal Code, in connection with the case of non-payment of particularly large taxes, duties and other payments. .
As a result of urgent investigation and operational-investigative measures jointly implemented by the operational intelligence department of the SRC MDP Department and the RA Investigative Committee, the circle of persons organizing and supporting the activity of the mentioned company was revealed, as well as the fact that the mentioned persons organized the transportation of mineral oils to the RA territory through another company. imports and exports to Georgia.
Regarding the mineral oils previously imported to Armenia and exported to Georgia according to the documents, a corresponding inquiry was made to the Georgian customs body, and according to the answer received from there, no oils were ever exported to Georgia by the mentioned companies. Based on the above, a calculation of underpaid customs fees was made, according to which the companies undercalculated and did not pay to the state budget about 630 million AMD in customs fees: VAT, excise tax and customs duty.
Based on the decisions made by the investigator of the main department of investigation of economic crimes and smuggling of the Investigative Committee, 5 persons related to the said criminal scheme were arrested and transferred to the RA Investigative Committee by the employees of the SRC MDP Department.
As part of the criminal proceedings, searches were carried out at a number of addresses, as a result of which documents and computers were confiscated.
Large-scale measures are being taken to find out the places of possible sales of oils by the mentioned companies in the territory of Armenia and to find out the oils, as well as to find out the full range of persons involved in the described scheme.
At the same time, the State Revenue Committee submitted a report to the General Prosecutor’s Office in order to find out the presence of criminal features in the actions of SRC officials, on the basis of which the Anti-corruption Committee official’s abuse of official or service powers or the influence caused by them, or the case of transfer of powers, in connection with Article 441 of the RA Criminal Code criminal proceedings have been initiated in order to find out the circumstances of using their official or official powers or the influence caused by them to the detriment of state or official interests, or of not performing or improperly performing their official duty.