Six arrests following suspected £4m PAYE theft

ARRESTS have been made following an investigation into the suspected theft of PAYE payments from a number of Shropshire and West Midlands companies.

The six arrests were made as part of an investigation into an alleged £4m PAYE tax evasion and money laundering fraud.

HMRC officers, West Mercia Police and Border Force were involved in the arrests of four men and two women. Five premises in Telford and Wolverhampton were searched last week.

Richard Wentel, assistant director, criminal investigation, HMRC, said: “This is an investigation into suspected tax fraud on an industrial scale, attacking the PAYE system and associated money laundering.

“A self-styled financial adviser and five others have been arrested in connection with the investigation of which we believe involves the theft of PAYE payments collected from the employees of a number of companies in the West Midlands and Shropshire areas.

“Tax fraud is not a victimless crime and every year costs millions of pounds in lost revenue that should be funding public services. We are committed to working with our partner agencies in the UK and abroad to target those who try to rip-off taxpayers in the UK.”