"The investigation, “Pedelecs”, revealed that, since 2020, a Portuguese company has been importing disassembled e-bikes from Chinese suppliers in parts, with the aim of avoiding paying anti-dumping tariffs applicable to the import of fully assembled e-bikes", says a statement, from the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO).

The bicycles were allegedly "entirely designed in China on request" from companies in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, assembled in Portugal and then resold by the suspicious national company to the firms that had originally ordered them.

Imports "were deliberately mis-declared to customs authorities."

The alleged fraudulent scheme is estimated to have caused losses to the European Union of 2.25 million euros, according to the EPPO.

On Wednesday, "16 large-scale searches" took place in Portugal, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands to gather information, in an operation that included the participation of the Tax and Customs Authority (AT).

The investigation is led by the Porto delegation of the European Public Prosecutor's Office.

'Dumping' is a commercial practice that consists of selling products below the cost of production.