Иллюстративное фото: Mitchell Luo, unsplash.com
Belarus’ Department of Financial Investigations (DFR) under the State Control Committee has been systematically targeting the country’s major logistics operators, Nasha Niva reports.
According to the publication, over the past two weeks alone, searches and arrests have taken place at the offices of companies including Proliv, TELS Global, WestTransLine, Intertransavto, and several others. The raids are reportedly being carried out in a “masked raid” style, with doors broken down during the searches. Ordinary employees are generally not being detained, but company owners and directors are being arrested.
The companies are accused of tax evasion under Part 3 of Article 243 of the Criminal Code, which provides for penalties ranging from five to twelve years in prison. Fines imposed on executives are reportedly calculated based on the alleged amount of unpaid taxes.
According to the report, the campaign began with inspections of the company Dzhenti-Spedishn, the first logistics operator to attract the authorities’ attention earlier this year. Investigators allegedly concluded that employees physically located in Belarus had been working in the interests of the company’s offices in other countries, primarily Russia and Kazakhstan.
Authorities reportedly argue that if commercial activity is effectively conducted in Belarus while revenue is received in other jurisdictions, this constitutes grounds for additional tax assessments and criminal prosecution. The management of Dzhenti-Spedishn allegedly admitted guilt and paid tens of millions in fines, after which the DFR applied the same logic to other companies in the sector.