Brussels, 25/05/2004 (Agence Europe) - An investigation of the Prosecutor's Office in Asti (Italy) conducted in close cooperation with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has uncovered a fraud of more than EUR 30 million, which represents a financial loss of over EUR 6 million for the Community budget.
OLAF states in a press release that the investigation, conducted in eight countries (Italy, France, Monaco, Portugal, Belgium, Poland, United Kingdom and Switzerland) has allowed the discovery of 24,397 master cases of cigarettes which had been smuggled into the Community by an Italian company from 1995 to 1999. OLAF had begun its investigation in 1998.