Twenty-two people arrested on the southern island of Crete over alleged fraud involving European Union agricultural subsidies were brought to the port of Piraeus early Wednesday and transferred to the offices of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) for questioning, authorities said.
The suspects are accused of fraudulently obtaining EU agricultural funds through Greece’s former payment agency OPEKEPE.
The case is part of an alleged organized criminal network dismantled by the Greek Police’s Organized Crime Unit. The case file includes 138 individuals, among them the 22 arrested this week.
Authorities have also frozen the bank accounts of 18 individuals linked to the investigation.
Investigators estimate the alleged financial damage at around 3 million euros and are examining whether false declarations were submitted in other regions of the country.
