14 September 2026 , 19:34
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The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Berlin (Germany) has filed an indictment against nine suspects, following an investigation into a criminal organisation importing salvage vehicles from the United States (US) and reselling them after cosmetic repair, while evading custom duties and VAT. The damaged cars also pose a danger to the safety of European consumers.
The indictment, filed at the Regional Court in Dresden (Landgericht Dresden) on Friday, is the second to be brought as part of the investigation codenamed Nimmersatt (‘Insatiable’ in German). A previous indictment against three of the nine accused had been filed with the Regional Court in Berlin, which declined to hear the case because it did not have territorial jurisdiction. The Dresden court is now considered to have jurisdiction over all nine suspects.
One of the defendants is the alleged ringleader of the organisation and was in charge of importing the cars. The suspect has been in pre-trial detention since April 2025. Another defendant was responsible for selecting the cars to be imported and, following their import, for repairing and reselling them. The other seven defendants are car dealers with shops in Germany who are accused of selling the refurbished cars to end customers, thereby participating in a criminal organisation and aiding and abetting VAT fraud.
The conduct of the defendants is believed to have caused a tax and customs duty evasion amounting to more than €90 million, including €15.1 million in import customs duties, €49.6 million in import VAT, and the remaining in non-import VAT. In addition, the suspects are accused of attempting to evade a further €15 million in customs duties and VAT.
Vast criminal network
In April 2025, the EPPO uncovered a vast criminal network active in smuggling badly damaged cars from the US into the EU, and selling them to end customers after superficial repair, while defrauding the payment of customs duties and committing large-scale VAT fraud. The cars also pose a serious safety risk to European consumers, who unknowingly buy hazardous vehicles for a high price.
Following an initial series of searches and arrests in April 2025, which led to the arrest of the organisation’s main ringleaders and company directors, further arrests were carried out in Lithuania in February 2026.
Earlier in the investigation, at the EPPO’s request, German courts issued asset-freezing orders totalling more than €33 million. To date, approximately €2 million in assets have been successfully frozen in several countries.
If found guilty, the defendants could face prison sentences of up to 15 years, depending on the charges, their individual culpability and prior convictions.
The investigation against other suspects involved in the criminal scheme continues.
All persons concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the competent German courts of law.
The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.
Head of Investigations