Seizure of illegal goods worth 10 billion Tenge and establishment of 10 sham LLCs: customs authorities in Almaty uncover Chinese contraband
In the heart of Almaty, a significant criminal case has been uncovered, involving the illegal importation of over 100 containers of consumer goods from China. The LLP 'Group of Companies TDA', which held the status of an authorized economic operator, was at the centre of this operation[1][2].
The investigation revealed that the company, using a network of 10 affiliated Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) under its control, issued fake invoices as part of the smuggling scheme[1][2]. This deceptive practice caused substantial financial damage to Kazakhstan, with estimated losses of approximately 10 billion tenge (around $18.8 million) in unpaid Value-Added Tax (VAT), Corporate Income Tax (CPN), and customs duties[1][2].
During the investigation, authorities managed to recover 643 million tenge and seized goods worth 1.3 billion tenge. Additionally, properties connected to the suspects, including land plots, vehicles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), mobile tents, and other assets valued at around 300 million tenge, were confiscated[1][2].
The Almaty Alaïynsky District Court handed down prison sentences to the convicted individuals, ranging from 1.4 to 4.6 years, with full confiscation of assets. One suspect remains at large and has been placed on the international wanted list[1][2]. Furthermore, 47 counterpart LLPs voluntarily excluded mutual transactions and paid taxes totaling 240 million tenge[2].
It is worth noting that the smuggling and issuance of fake invoices occurred within Kazakhstan's borders. The case was reported by Vechernyaya Astana, but the investigation did not provide information about any legal consequences for the parties involved[1][2].
[1] Vechernyaya Astana. (Date unknown). "Крупная схема контрабанды в Алаты: ТДА в центре скандала". Retrieved from https://www.vesti.kz/almaty/2022/03/24/krupnaya-schema-kontrabandi-v-alaty-tda-v-tsentre-skandala.html
[2] Tengrinews.kz. (Date unknown). "В Алматы раскрыта крупная схема контрабанды из Китая". Retrieved from https://tengrinews.kz/kazakhstan_news/almaty-raskryta-krupnaya-schema-kontrabandi-iz-kitaya/
- The illicit operation, centred around LLP 'Group of Companies TDA', was not only a criminal case of smuggling consumer goods but also involved extensive financial deceit within Kazakhstan's industry, as the company manipulated the system using fake invoices, causing significant losses in VAT, CPN, and customs duties.
- The general-news outlets reported that this smuggling case, labelled as a significant criminal case in Almaty, led to the confiscation of various assets, including properties, vehicles, and ATVs, worth approximately 300 million tenge, and prison sentences for the convicted individuals, with full confiscation of their assets.
