37 arrested in Greece in EU farm subsidy fraud case

Greek police said on Tuesday that 17 people were arrested across various regions of the country in a new operation targeting an alleged criminal network accused of fraudulently obtaining European Union agricultural subsidies through the former payment agency OPEKEPE. The report was published by Ekathimerini.

The organized crime unit in Thessaloniki carried out the operation with the involvement of two declaration centers (KYD) in Thessaloniki and Serres, through which accomplices allegedly secured illegal farm payments since 2019.

Suspected members of the network were detained in Thessaloniki, Serres, Kilkis, and Athens.

Police estimate the illegal proceeds of the network exceeded €4.5 million, while the investigation is still ongoing.

The raid marks the second major operation in two days, following earlier arrests of 20 people in separate OPEKEPE-related fraud investigations in Crete.

Last year, European prosecutors charged dozens of Greeks with falsifying grazing land ownership documents to obtain millions of euros in EU subsidies, allegedly with the involvement of public officials and conservative politicians.

The scandal triggered political turmoil in Greece, leading to parliamentary inquiries with inconclusive outcomes, as well as ministerial resignations and opposition calls for early elections.

At the request of the European Chief Prosecutor, parliament voted in April to lift immunity for 13 lawmakers from the ruling New Democracy party so they could be questioned over alleged involvement in related cases.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged EU prosecutors to speed up decisions on potential charges, aiming to limit political fallout ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for spring 2027.

In 2025, the European Union imposed a €392 million fine on Greece for misuse of agricultural subsidies between 2016 and 2023 through the OPEKEPE agency.

Tags: subsidies, Greece