European and Greek law enforcement agencies are rapidly expanding a criminal investigation into massive agricultural subsidy fraud, freezing millions of euros in assets and targeting organized crime rings that systematically looted EU funds.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened 53 active case files linked to the illicit scheme, nearly doubling its caseload from last year.
Officials confirmed that cases involving high-profile political figures represent only a small fraction of the sprawling, nationwide probe.
Working alongside EU investigators, Greece’s elite organized crime unit—often likened to the country's FBI—launched a targeted inquiry supervised by prosecutor Dimitris Gkyzis.
Mr. Gkyzis and his specialized team have identified at least two criminal syndicates operating through local declaration centers that process regional farm aid applications.
Consequently, authorities have issued more than 170 asset-freeze orders targeting suspects, covering sums totaling over €11 million.
Simultaneously, the Greek Anti-Money Laundering Authority is conducting a parallel investigation led by its president, Charalambos Vourliotis.
Mr. Vourliotis has focused the agency's efforts specifically on beneficiaries who received suspicious payouts exceeding €100,000.
Under the direction of Mr. Vourliotis, the authority has already forwarded five formal reports to justice officials, targeting suspects for severe financial crimes, including money laundering and illicit enrichment.
The sweeping, multi-agency crackdown comes amid mounting pressure on Athens from Brussels to finally eradicate the systemic abuse of vital agricultural aid programs that investigators say were freely exploited by corrupt networks for years.
By Anna Kadylli