Customs fraud: Customs claims 3 billion dirhams from importers from China and Turkey

The Customs and Indirect Taxes Administration (ADII) has launched a major offensive against value fraud. The brigades of Tangier, Casablanca and Agadir have been mobilized to scrutinize the files of thousands of importers, reports Hespress. In the crosshairs: invoices from China and Turkey, suspected of being artificially undervalued to avoid customs duties. According to the initial findings of the investigation, this "loophole" would have caused an estimated shortfall of 2.9 billion dirhams for the public treasury.

The method is classic but devastating for the national economy: importers declare a value much lower than the real price of the goods in order to pay less taxes, thus realizing comfortable margins while undercutting prices on the local market. Unfair competition that is suffocating Moroccan producers. Faced with the scale of the phenomenon, Customs has expanded its audit to a volume of imports exceeding 5 billion dirhams, now targeting sectors that have so far flown under the radar.

The hunt is organized thanks to Big Data. By cross-checking files with the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI), customs officers have identified suspicious profiles: recently created companies, without a history of activity, declaring incoherent turnover figures but massively importing consumer goods that are difficult to evaluate. Offenders will receive notifications summoning them to justify these price differences. Failing convincing explanations, the sanction will be twofold: immediate payment of the tax differential and application of heavy fines in accordance with the Customs Code.