37 people have been handcuffed by Greek law enforcement forces, as they are suspected of being part of a gang that committed fraud with European agricultural subsidies.
The operation undertaken by the organized crime unit, often referred to as the Greek FBI, took place in Thessaloniki, Pela, Ioannina, Attica and Crete.
At the center of it was a criminal network that was accused of having illegally obtained subsidies in agriculture, which are given by the European Union, through false statements submitted to the Greek agency that oversees European funds given to support the country’s farmers.
According to the authorities, those arrested are neither farmers nor producers. The head of the criminal network is a former employee of the farm declaration center in Pela, while a 36-year-old man who currently works in such a center in Crete is also involved.
Investigators believe the network benefited from more than 20 million euros in subsidies from 2018 to 2024.
The operation of the organized crime unit was undertaken in coordination with the European public prosecutor’s office, which launched the investigation into this case about a year and a half ago.
The chief European prosecutor, meanwhile, said in a press conference that the Greek state agency that oversees European funds for agriculture had become a symbol of corruption, nepotism and clientelism.
Journalist: Elda Pepa
