3.4 million lei tax evasion scheme in scrap metal sector investigated in Chișinău
Officers from the General Anti-Fraud Directorate of the State Fiscal Service (SFS), in collaboration with the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), uncovered a tax evasion scheme that could have caused a loss of approximately 3.4 million lei to the state budget.
According to a statement issued by the authorities, a criminal investigation was initiated in 2025 regarding activities conducted between 2022 and 2025 by three companies specializing in scrap metal collection in the Chisinau municipality.
Investigators allege that three individuals in management positions at the companies avoided paying taxes by purchasing scrap metal through close associates rather than directly on the companies' behalf. The Prosecutor’s Office for the Combating of Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS) and the State Fiscal Service (SFS) argue that this practice enabled them to minimize their tax obligations to the state.
Law enforcement officials also contend that the company administrators artificially lowered the reported income from the purchase and sale of scrap metal. To achieve this, they allegedly withdrew significant amounts of money from the companies' accounts, claiming it was for loans granted to close associates.
As part of the investigations, anti-fraud officers and prosecutors from PCCOCS carried out searches at the offices of the three companies. During these raids, they seized accounting documents, draft documents, computers, mobile phones, bank cards, and an external hard drive containing information on income and salary payments. Additionally, they confiscated 220,000 lei for which no documentation regarding its origin was provided.
The authorities state that investigations are ongoing to identify all individuals involved, recover any damages caused to the state budget, and implement the legal measures stipulated by legislation.
