OPEKEPE: Dismantling of fraud ring involving agricultural subsidies exceeding €4.5 million
The Organised Crime Confrontation Unit has dismantled a criminal organisation in Northern Greece that defrauded OPEKEPE and the Greek state through false declarations for agricultural grants. The case file includes 317 individuals, with 17 arrested.
OPEKEPE: Dismantling of fraud ring involving agricultural subsidies exceeding €4.5 million
A major operation by the Organised Crime Confrontation Unit led to the dissolution of a network operating in Northern Greece that was illegally extracting money from OPEKEPE. The police investigation began in November 2025 and revealed that criminal activity had started at least from 2019.
Network members submitted forged applications to receive agricultural grants, exploiting weaknesses in the verification process. In several cases, they used details of over 1,500 individuals who were unaware they appeared in declarations as owners or tenants of agricultural plots.
According to the case file, 317 individuals are implicated in the case, with 302 of them named as beneficiaries of illegal payments. The group had a clear hierarchy: six individuals are alleged to have planned and identified plots, other members managed bank accounts to launder the money, whilst a separate group was responsible for submitting the forged applications.
In a wide-ranging operation carried out across multiple cities, 17 individuals were arrested. Officers conducted searches at eight houses and two offices where declarations were submitted. Authorities seized over €302,000 in cash, 18 gold coins and 12 vehicles. Bank accounts, properties and safe deposit boxes were also frozen.
It is particularly notable that a significant proportion of those involved had no connection to agriculture. Authorities found evidence of sudden enrichment, as network members purchased vehicles and made financial transactions beyond their declared incomes.
Source: Tá Néa
Source: Ta Nea