A major police operation targeting an alleged subsidy fraud network is underway in Greece, with authorities reporting 13 arrests so far in connection with a scheme involving agricultural subsidies.
The operation, launched on the morning of June 3 by the Economic Crime Division, focuses on an alleged criminal organization suspected of defrauding the country’s agricultural payments agency.
According to police, arrests have been carried out in the regions of Kozani and Agrinio. Among those detained are a manager and an employee of a certified application support center involved in subsidy procedures. In total, 39 individuals have been identified as suspects in the investigation.
Authorities estimate that the illegal financial benefit generated by the scheme exceeds €2.5 million. Investigators have also uncovered alleged tax violations linked to the case. Searches and interrogations are continuing as police seek to fully dismantle the network.
Previous Developments in Related Subsidy Cases
The latest operation comes as judicial proceedings continue in a separate case involving alleged illegal subsidy payments in northern Greece.
In that investigation, 17 people were arrested. Three suspects, described by authorities as having leadership roles, were ordered into pre-trial detention following their testimony before a European investigating magistrate.
Three other suspects were placed under house arrest, including two spouses of individuals alleged to have played leading roles in the scheme. Another suspect was released under restrictive conditions.
Following the hearings, a total of 11 suspects were released, while three remain in custody and three under house arrest.
The charges under investigation include directing, forming and participating in a criminal organization, fraud against the financial interests of the European Union involving sums exceeding €120,000, and money laundering.
All suspects have denied wrongdoing.
One suspect alleged to have held a leadership role reportedly told investigators that he is a farmer and that all declarations submitted were lawful. His wife similarly denied any knowledge of financial activities handled by her husband.
Another detained suspect, also accused of playing a leading role, reportedly argued that no significant sums were found in his bank accounts. He claimed that money received through a subsidy support center was passed on to a co-defendant who remains a fugitive. He also stated that the purchase of two used vehicles was funded through the sale of a tractor and agricultural land, insisting that these transactions do not constitute money laundering.
