Six arrested in £4m tax fraud raids

Four men and two women have been arrested following raids by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) officers investigating a suspected £4m tax fraud.

The raids were part of HMRC's continuing crackdown on construction tax fraud.

The alleged offences include income tax, VAT and corporation tax evasion, construction industry fraud and money laundering.

Officers removed business records and computer evidence during their searches at a residential property in Llandaff, Cardiff; a business property and a residential property in Chepstow, Monmouthshire; a property in Shirenewton, Monmouthshire used for both business and domestic purposes; and two residential properties and one business premises in Northampton.

Searches were also carried out in the Netherlands at a property in Drenthe, Havelte used for business and residential purposes.

The six individuals who were arrested were:

A man (age 65) and a woman (47) from Llandaff, Cardiff;
One man (56) and one woman (60) from Shirenewton, Monmouthshire;
Two men (age 66 and 41) from Northampton.
No arrests were made at the Netherlands address.

All six were arrested, questioned and subsequently released.  All were bailed to return for further questioning at a later date.

Andrew Pavlinic, Assistant Director, Criminal Investigation, HMRC, said: "We take very seriously our investigations into tax evasion, fraud, and the eventual laundering of the profits of these crimes.  Those involved in this type of activity give themselves an advantage over those businesses that play by the rules, and that simply isn’t fair."

All six individuals were bailed to return for questioning.  The woman from Shirenewton is bailed until December 2009, with the remainder bailed until February 2010.