In one of the most significant cases in recent years for the transport and lubricant distribution sector, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Turin secured the conviction of thirteen defendants implicated in the investigation codenamed “Greasy Hands”. The first-instance rulings, issued by the courts of Turin and Matera on 4 July 2025, mark a turning point in the fight against tax fraud linked to the trade of engine oils.
The convicted individuals, including three identified leaders of the organisation, were found guilty of criminal conspiracy and tax fraud. They received prison sentences ranging from one to four years, totalling 34 years behind bars. The court decisions, largely the result of plea bargains and shortened trial procedures, also ordered the confiscation of more than 12 million euros, as well as company shares, properties, vehicles, luxury watches and cash.
The investigation uncovered a criminal network operating in Italy and seven other European countries – Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia – which imported large volumes of lubricants intended for the Italian market, systematically evading value-added tax and excise duties. The network used falsified transport documents and a dense web of shell companies to simulate legitimate transactions and conceal the actual flow of goods and money.
In addition to the estimated tax evasion of more than 15 million euros – including 14 million in VAT and over one million in excise duties – the group is also suspected of having counterfeited engine oil brands and laundered illicit profits, reinvesting them in luxury goods and seemingly legitimate businesses. Particularly noteworthy is the involvement of a company based in the Matera area, operating at one of the main commercial hubs for lubricants in central and southern Italy, which allegedly purchased products from the criminal network while concealing more than 52 million euros in profits from the tax authorities. The “Greasy Hands” case highlights how the lubricant sector, often considered secondary compared to fuel transport, is in fact highly vulnerable to opaque operations and organised fraud, with direct consequences for fair competition and market integrity.
