Unlawful practices in freight forwarding: 156 reports filed against Austrian shipping enterprises
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Got your attention? Good, 'cause we've got a scandal brewing in Tyrol. The Financial Police, working alongside the boys in blue, have uncovered a gigantic instance of social fraud and some seriously nasty labor law violations at a local transport company.
This story's got legs, with a whopping 156 complaints filed against the company, according to the Ministry of Finance. Already, a fine of 80,000 euros has been slapped on them by the District Administrative Authority, and there's been a request to revoke their business license. Ouch!
Here's the lowdown on how these companies thrive off of social fraud: In 24 cases, busted drivers weren't legitimately registered, and there were 8 violations of the Unemployment Insurance Act. The caught drivers hadn't reported their jobs to the Public Employment Service. To add salt to injury, they're under investigation for suspected fraud. The Austrian Health Insurance Fund and the tax office have joined the party for a deeper examination.
Two drivers from the UK and Turkey were found driving without work permits. Two administrative offense proceedings under the Foreign Employment Act are currently underway.
But it gets worse! The investigations were sparked by an anonymous tip about the company messing around with their mandatory driving and rest times last year. Initially, they checked out 33 tachographs from the company's trucks.
In total, they reported 107 violations to the District Administrative Authority Innsbruck. This led to a complaint of forgery of documents and 9 complaints of tampering with evidence. They even caught 6 instances of the unauthorized use of several driver cards. They've started up a process under the Corporate Criminal Law Act or the Liability of Associations Act, as per the Ministry of Finance.
Safety concerns on the rise: Overworked drivers on the road pose a serious risk to public safety, according to Barbara Eibinger-Miedl, State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. The Financial Police have made it clear: break the rules, and you'll face the consequences. Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer highlighted the inter-agency cooperation between the Financial Police and executive authorities.
Beyond the construction, cleaning, and catering industries, the transport industry is notorious for labor law violations and social fraud. Keep your eyes peeled for any updates on this developing situation. Sadly, no specific recent information or updates related to this scandal have been found in public records as of April 2025. Keep an ear to the ground and check local Austrian news sources for any new findings or investigations.
- The Financial Police, in collaboration with the police, have issued a request to revoke the business license of a Tyrolean transport company due to a large-scale social fraud scandal and labor law violations.
- In the ongoing investigation, it has been reported that 24 drivers who were busted were not legitimately registered, and several violations of the Unemployment Insurance Act were uncovered.
- Two drivers from the UK and Turkey were found driving without work permits, sparking two administrative offense proceedings under the Foreign Employment Act.
- The investigation was initiated due to an anonymous tip about the company tampering with mandatory driving and rest times; as a result, the District Administrative Authority Innsbruck reported 107 violations.
- In the general news and crime-and-justice sector, this case serves as a reminder of the prevalence of labor law violations and social fraud in the transport industry, and the public is encouraged to stay informed about any updates or new investigations in this developing situation.
