Main Customs Office Erfurt Fights Undeclared Work, Recovers €37.4M in 2022
The Main Customs Office Erfurt has concluded a year of intense inspections, imposing heavy penalties and uncovering significant damages. The office, responsible for Thuringia and southwestern Saxony, has successfully targeted undeclared work and social security fraud.
In 2022, the Financial Control Black Work of the Main Customs Office Erfurt inspected over 2,700 employers across its jurisdiction. The inspections, carried out spontaneously, on initiative, or based on hints, revealed a total damage of around 37.4 million euros. This resulted in administrative penalties totaling approximately 1.1 million euros and criminal proceedings numbering nearly 5,000, with over 1,600 administrative penalty proceedings initiated.
The rigorous inspections led to imprisonment sentences totaling 47.5 years and fines exceeding 1.5 million euros. The damage was primarily attributed to non-payment or insufficient payment of social security contributions and improperly received benefits. The locations covered by the Financial Control Black Work include Annaberg-Buchholz, Chemnitz, Erfurt, Gera, Jena, Nordhausen, Plauen, Suhl, and Zwickau.
The Main Customs Office Erfurt's commitment to combating undeclared work and social security fraud has yielded significant results. The office's diligent efforts have recovered substantial damages and brought offenders to justice, demonstrating its dedication to protecting the integrity of the labor market and social security systems within its jurisdiction.
