Italian Police Raid Amazon Sites Over Smuggling Probe

MILAN, Italy — Italian police conducted searches at two Amazon sites on Monday, focusing on suspected smuggling of Chinese goods. The operation involved officers from the Guardia di Finanza tax police and the customs agency, who reportedly seized around 5,000 products from a logistics hub in Cividate al Piano, located in the northern province of Bergamo.

At Amazon’s Italian headquarters in Milan, authorities confiscated IT equipment and identified a manager overseeing goods transportation within Italy. The police actions are part of a broader investigation, as prosecutors accuse Amazon of acting as a “Trojan horse” that allows numerous untaxed Chinese goods to circulate in the Italian market.

The seized items included toys, mobile phone covers, air fryers, pens, and small scissors. The investigation into Amazon stemmed from a separate €1.2 billion tax evasion case involving multiple Italian companies believed to serve as fronts for Chinese operations. This new probe may reveal that goods are being smuggled from China into the EU and then into Italy, bypassing the required sales taxes and customs duties.

Milan prosecutors, leading the inquiry with support from the Monza branch of the Guardia di Finanza, are examining both smuggling activities and violations of EU customs regulations. Three sources indicated that the number of products involved could ultimately reach half a million, and the investigation may extend beyond Italy to other EU nations.

Prosecutors previously presented their findings at The Hague, discussing the case with counterparts from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, and Ireland. In a continuing effort to tackle tax evasion, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office is also investigating Amazon’s accounts, particularly focusing on compliance with new EU VAT regulations that took effect this year.

Despite the ongoing investigation, Amazon has stated that it is “committed to complying with all applicable tax laws.” Italian authorities expect to receive a decision from Amazon regarding its tax settlement proposal by December.