The German police arrested a Chinese citizen at Munich Airport last week, prior to the start of the Intersolar Europe trade fair. Investigators are targeting the detained individual for allegedly evading anti-subsidy and anti-dumping duties imposed on PV products in the European Union prior to September 2018, a lawyer told pv magazine.

Reports of a Chinese citizen's arrest at Munich Airport prior to the start of Intersolar Europe caused a stir last week at The Smarter E exhibition. The person – identified as a senior sales representative at a Chinese module manufacturer – is under investigation by the public prosecutor in Augsburg, Germany, for alleged crimes dating back to the 2015-17 period.

The suspect, along with other individuals under investigation, was allegedly involved in developing an illegal system to evade anti-dumping duties on imported Chinese solar modules. The accused is represented by lawyer Alexandra Gutmeyr.

The investigation by the Augsburg public prosecutor's office, which began several years ago, focuses on the alleged circumvention of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties. In April 2018, three suspects were arrested by customs investigators in connection with more than 400 imports of PV products from China into the European Union. The accused used intermediary companies in Greece and the Isle of Man to hide their operations, avoiding approximately €35 million ($38.2 million) in anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties.

Minimum import prices for crystalline PV products, introduced in the European Union in 2013, expired in September 2018, in line with a decision by the EU Commission.

（Picture: Veer）