Steel products valued at more than €5 million were seized at the Port of Naples in an investigation coordinated by the European Public Prosecutor's Office into suspected customs fraud involving steel imported from Türkiye.
The seizure involved 454 packages of steel products and followed two imports carried out in July 2026. According to the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the products originated in Türkiye and were exported by a company based in Dubai to an Italian metalworking importer.
Investigators allege that the goods were declared as zinc-coated steel to obtain an exemption from additional EU duties. Physical inspections and laboratory analyses allegedly found that the products did not correspond to the declared customs classification.
The suspected scheme may have caused approximately €3.5 million in losses through unpaid duties and related VAT. That figure is an investigative estimate reported by ANSA, not a final judicial assessment.
A company based in the Ponte Valentino area near Benevento is reportedly among the businesses involved. Local reporting describes it as a Benevento-area metalworking business. Its exact identity has not been disclosed in the sources acquired for this article.
Searches were conducted at homes and company premises, and electronic devices were seized as part of the investigation.
How the case developed
The reported timeline centers on the two July 2026 import operations. The goods were subsequently subject to physical examination, followed by laboratory analyses, before prosecutors ordered the seizure announced in November 2026. The laboratory results are central to the allegation: authorities say the steel did not match the zinc-coated classification entered in the customs declarations.
What the numbers describe
Two different amounts are reported, and they refer to different things. The first, more than €5 million, is the value of the 454 seized packages. The second, approximately €3.5 million, is the estimated loss to public revenue from duties and VAT allegedly avoided through misclassification. Readers should treat the second figure with caution while the case remains under investigation.
What remains to be established
The investigation is ongoing, and the alleged customs fraud has not been finally established. The responsibility of the companies and individuals involved remains to be determined. The European Public Prosecutor's Office states that those concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
