They neutralized a criminal group that illegally supplied diesel fuel. The companies established in the pre-trial proceedings declare deliveries to the "Novo Selo" training ground. of diesel fuel in huge amount and with zero excise rate. The period in which the activity was carried out is from 2019 to 2024. This was announced at a briefing in the Courthouse by the district prosecutor of Plovdiv - Vanya Hristeva.
The scheme operated as follows: taxable persons took advantage of the opportunity to exempt themselves from excise duty on goods based on an international treaty, without the companies concerned having such a right, using false documents.
As a result of customs checks, it was established that the cargo composition – a tractor and a tanker, which is designated as a supplier of the fuel, is diverted from the route to the range and at other places the fuel is transshipped to another motor vehicle. The fuel was directed to other settlements. “A company that has a tax warehouse for the wholesale sale of fuels presents to the customs authorities documents that indicate that some of the fuels that are sold on the territory of the country are exempt from excise duty. However, these documents are fake," explained Ginka Lazarova, supervising prosecutor in the case.
According to agreements that have the force of an international treaty, the fuels supplied to NATO military bases in Bulgaria are exempt from excise taxes and VAT. "In 2013 NATO conducts a public procurement in Romania, to which Bulgaria is later attached. A company is chosen for the supply of fuel for the NATO bases in our country. "Several companies appear there and win two foreign legal entities that have Bulgarian companies as subcontractors," Lazarova explained.
„Our company, with which we started the story, is not among these companies. However, this did not prevent her, in a long period of time preceding 2019, from providing documents certifying her right to be exempt from these excise goods. Among these documents there is one that is certified by the users of these fuels – in the case of US bases. They present such documents that indicate that the authors are American generals who are not active and have never worked in Bulgaria," the supervising prosecutor also said.
At this time, it has not been established that the US military or other employees of US bases were involved in the scheme. “The company delivers documents to the NATO base in “Novo Selo” with a single truck, a single driver who is an employee of a transport company. The company is located in a city in the country, and the transport company – in another“, Ginka Lazarova explained.
As a result of the criminal scheme, Bulgaria's budget has remained BGN 9.5 million less.