Eurojust Busts Fraud Ring With BG Participation

The EU judicial cooperation unit Eurojust bust an organized crime group that committed fraud on a large scale in Belgium and the Netherlands. 

It operated in Belgium, the Netherlands, Romania and Bulgaria and drained the social security systems in Belgium and the Netherlands. 

According to the Eurojust website, four Dutch citizens and two Romanian citizens are suspected of having illegally employed approximately 100 Romanian workers in the Belgian construction sector since 2007 through a carousel of Belgian and Bulgarian companies. 

The Romanian workers were fictitiously seconded by Dutch companies via Bulgarian companies or falsely registered as self-employed in Belgian companies. Several Belgian building companies are suspected of using these Romanian workers in violation of the prohibition on the temporary placement of employees.

The judicial investigation, initiated in Belgium in 2012 by the Public Prosecution Service of Ghent specialised in matters of labour and social security law, was led by the Investigating Judge of Ghent and conducted by the Federal Judicial Police and the Social Security Inspectorate of Ghent and other Social Security Inspectorates. 

They carried out extensive investigations resulting in this joint operation. The investigations were supported by the Bulgarian, Dutch and Romanian authorities.