An Italian criminal gang created
their own state, allegedly based in the Antarctic, to evade
Italian taxes and commit fraud on a massive scale, police said
Thursday.
The 'Antarctic Theocratic State of St George' constructed
documents and got accreditation with banks in Italy, police
said.
The bogus sovereign state was used by the organization to
defraud countless victims and launder money, they said.
The gang was dismantled by Catanzaro prosecutors and police.
Eleven people were placed under house arrest in the "Never-Never
Land" police operation.
They include a former general of the Guardia di Finanza tax
police, Mario Farnesi, aged 72, and a former warrant officer in
the Carabinieri paramilitary police force, Emanuele Frasca (56).
Members of the organization, which had created a head of state
and government, ministers, court of justice, supreme court and
territorial delegations, induced over 700 victims across Italy
to pay sums ranging from 200 to 1,000 euros for various alleged
benefits including getting financing and documents to travel
freely around the world, as well as enabling foreigners to come
to Italy.
The gang has been charged with conspiracy to commit crimes,
fraud, counterfeiting documents and money laundering.
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