Top HMRC Tax Investigation Lawyers at UK London-based criminal fraud and POCA specialist Law Firm Bark & Co Solicitors Chosen to Represent Client charged in relation to Alleged Alcohol Diversion Operated on a massive scale in a conspiracy to cheat HMRC of public revenue
Operation Barbados
We are acting for one of 24 individuals alleged to have been part of an OCG into which HMRC conducted an intensive investigation which began in late 2012. It is said that the OCG was concerned in the creation and putting into effect of a long-running conspiracy to cheat the public revenue along with ancillary money laundering offences.
Operation Barbados revealed the existence of a complex and systematic VAT fraud centred on Winnington Networks Ltd (‘WNL’), a limited liability company established in the Midlands which is now in liquidation. The fraud that the conspirators intended was principally operated through WNL’s trading in electrical goods, wholesale metals and Voice Over Internet Protocol airtime (‘VOIP’).
Between January 2011 and March 2014 it resulted in the fraudulent withholding from HMRC of over £20m pounds of VAT. The conspiracy to cheat involved numerous individuals and companies, all of which played their respective roles in either generating genuine ‘output’ tax by WNL on the corrupt sale of electrical goods and metals, or the creation of fake deals in VOIP in order falsely to claim the VAT thereon as ‘input’ tax.
The methods by which the OCG achieved its objective were factually highly complex, involving multiple companies in different jurisdictions, numerous individuals playing specific roles, and WNL trading in at least three unconnected business sectors.
