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EU agricultural subsidy fraud/ Greek authorities arrest 20 people

2026-05-25 13:04:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

EU agricultural subsidy fraud/ Greek authorities arrest 20 people

Greek authorities announced on Monday the arrest of 20 people on the island of Crete, as part of a wide-ranging operation against a criminal network suspected of illegally benefiting from European Union agricultural subsidies through the former Greek payment agency OPEKEPE.

The operation, led by the Anti-Organized Crime Unit in Crete, aims to dismantle a structured group that, according to investigators, has illegally benefited from agricultural payments for several years.

Among those detained are two accountants and three officials from the Declaration Reception Centers (KYD), who authorities say were part of the group's leadership.

The police estimate that the network's illegal profits have exceeded 3 million euros in less than five years, while around 90 other people are under investigation.

According to authorities, the scheme was run by an accounting office based in Rethymno, which collaborated with KYD offices that had access to agricultural data and identified undeclared or unused land.

Investigations show that the activity began in 2019 and involved the creation of false lease contracts and the submission of false declarations in collaboration with landowners and farmers. These documents were then used to secure subsidy payments from OPEKEPE.

The case is part of a wider pattern of subsidy fraud in Greece’s agricultural sector. Previous investigations by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) have uncovered massive misuse of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funds during 2018–2022, including false declarations of livestock and claims on unsuitable land such as public pastures, military zones and protected areas.

The scandal led to the complete restructuring of OPEC, which was closed in 2025 and replaced by tax authorities, following fines imposed by the EU and investigations into systematic fraud. /CNA





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