As a result of operative-searching and investigative activities, representatives of Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia detained 5 persons on the fact of: illegal entrepreneurial activity; making and using forged tax documents; large amount of property damage, by deceiving the property owner and legalization of illegal income.

Investigation revealed, that the accused persons, whose activities included the sale of inert material, on behalf of companies, operating in the Adjara region, in order to cover up the source of illegally extracted sand and gravel and disguise their ownership, falsified commodity invoices and tax invoices, with which the sand gravel supplies seemed to be realized in the meantime.

By making these false tax documents, 154 857 m3 of illegally mined sand in gravel was legalized and turned into civilian turnover. As a result of this the mentioned companies and the leaders of the organized criminal group received a particularly large amount of illegal income of GEL 1 931 617.

At the same time, as a result of fictitious operations, an unreasonable - counterfeit asset, amounting to GEL 246 461 was created in the VAT, which was subsequently used to cover current tax liabilities.

Investigation also revealed, that as a result of illegal extraction of minerals the damage caused to the environment amounted to GEL 154 857.

Investigation is underway under the second parts of Article 192 and Article 210 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, under the third parts of Article 185 and Article 194 of Criminal Code of Georgia, which envisage imprisonment from 9 to 12 years.