Five Arrested in USD1.1M Fraud Probe Over NATO Ship Services
(MENAFN) Five people were arrested in Norway, and raids were carried out in Romania and Germany, in a cross-border investigation into suspected fraud worth more than €1 million ($1.1 million) tied to services supplied to NATO warships, the EU’s justice cooperation agency said Wednesday.
Investigators are examining allegedly fraudulent invoices that a company and its subcontractors submitted to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for husbandry services provided to vessels visiting ports in northwestern Europe.
The European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) said it began backing the probe in April 2025, after the NSPA flagged suspected irregularities in the billing.
Authorities also suspect the company bribed foreign public officials through an intermediary in return for favorable treatment in its contracts with the NSPA. Losses to NATO member countries are estimated at more than €1 million, though the precise figure is still being determined.
In July 2025, Eurojust helped set up a joint investigation team, allowing authorities from different countries to work under a shared legal framework and swap information and evidence directly. The agency also hosted coordination meetings ahead of the joint action day, while the NSPA supplied information and support to investigators.
During the coordinated operation, five people were arrested in Norway, where searches were also conducted at residential and business addresses. In Romania, authorities searched company premises and several homes. In Germany, searches were carried out at two business premises and one residence under a European Investigation Order.
Eurojust said it could provide no further comment because the investigation is ongoing.
Investigators are examining allegedly fraudulent invoices that a company and its subcontractors submitted to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for husbandry services provided to vessels visiting ports in northwestern Europe.
The European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) said it began backing the probe in April 2025, after the NSPA flagged suspected irregularities in the billing.
Authorities also suspect the company bribed foreign public officials through an intermediary in return for favorable treatment in its contracts with the NSPA. Losses to NATO member countries are estimated at more than €1 million, though the precise figure is still being determined.
In July 2025, Eurojust helped set up a joint investigation team, allowing authorities from different countries to work under a shared legal framework and swap information and evidence directly. The agency also hosted coordination meetings ahead of the joint action day, while the NSPA supplied information and support to investigators.
During the coordinated operation, five people were arrested in Norway, where searches were also conducted at residential and business addresses. In Romania, authorities searched company premises and several homes. In Germany, searches were carried out at two business premises and one residence under a European Investigation Order.
Eurojust said it could provide no further comment because the investigation is ongoing.
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