Google’s Paris offices raided

French police have raided Google’s Paris offices as part of an investigation into “aggravated tax fraud” and money laundering.

The raid is the latest regulatory headache for the US search engine and email company, which like other Silicon Valley firms, faces increasing questions about its complex tax arrangements.

France’s financial prosecutor’s office said the raids were carried out with the assistance of the police anti-corruption unit and 25 information technology experts.

French newspaper Le Parisien, which first reported the news, said the raid took place at dawn and involved some 100 investigators.

“These searches are the result of a preliminary investigation opened on June 16 2015 relative to aggravated tax fraud and organised money laundering following a complaint from French fiscal authorities,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

“The investigation is aimed at finding out whether Google Ireland is permanently established in France and if, by not declaring some of its activity on French soil, it has failed to meet its fiscal obligations, in particular with regard to corporation tax and value added tax.”