RIGA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Police in Latvia have raided Vairak Saules restaurant chain and arrested four people linked to the company on suspicions of a cash register scam, Igors Tomasevcs, deputy chief of the Riga regional criminal police, told reporters Wednesday.
According to information obtained by the police, the company has been falsifying bookkeeping data and tampering with cash registers at its restaurants since 2016. A criminal investigation has been launched against Vairak Saules based on a report to the police.
This Tuesday, police detained four persons linked to the company and conducted 34 searches at the company's offices, restaurants and food production facilities, seizing documents, computers and cellphones.
According to the law enforcement authorities' estimates, Vairak Saules avoided paying approximately 1.5 million euros worth of taxes with the help of the cash register scam.
Vairak Saules co-owner Endijs Berzins revealed to the media that the persons arrested in connection with the case include the owner of a company providing IT services to the restaurant chain. Last year she was working as the restaurant chain's chief accountant.
The investigation into the alleged fraud scheme, which was launched at the end of May, is ongoing, police representatives said.
After Tuesday's raids, the restaurants of the Vairak Saules chain were closed on Wednesday.
