Under the code name “Operation Harvest,” the DAOE, known as the Greek FBI, has uncovered and cracked down on long-standing organized crime activity involving OPEKEPE subsidies. More specifically, a journalistic analysis of data from the Greek Police, which over the past six months has managed to dismantle five criminal groups operating from Crete to northern Greece, reveals the intense and long-standing involvement of the organized mafia—which has absolutely no connection to the agricultural world—in the illegal siphoning of subsidies from OPEKEPE.
The files of the Organized Crime Division demonstrate, on the one hand, that organized crime activity dates back to at least 2018, further highlighting the long-standing nature of problems in the agricultural subsidy sector, and on the other hand, they debunk the prevailing perception that fraud was primarily committed by farmers and livestock breeders with political connections.
“Harvest” with more than 1,000 defendants
The DAOE operations, codenamed “Harvest,” were launched at the behest of the current political leadership long before the OPEKEPE case came to light, and the numbers are staggering.
The number of individuals accused of involvement in the five cases investigated by the “Greek FBI” stands at 1,151. To date, more than 90 have been arrested, of whom at least 17 have been remanded in custody and approximately 40 were temporarily detained and subsequently released on restrictive terms. The financial loss resulting from the activities of the five criminal groups has not yet been determined with absolute precision, as investigations are ongoing, but it is estimated to exceed 17 million euros.
“We are not talking here about isolated ‘minor’ cases. Such cases do exist, of course, and dozens of embezzlers have already been convicted by the courts or are currently on trial,” said a government source familiar with the overall effort to reform the agricultural subsidy system, referring to the tens of millions of euros that have been frozen as part of various investigations across Greece.
“In these five cases, however,” the same source continued, “we see organized groups with distinct roles, a hierarchical structure, and years of activity. This is a very different and significant aspect of the OPEKEPE case that is generally unknown to the general public.”
The Modus Operandi
An examination of the five major cases reveals common patterns of operation. The criminal groups identified plots of land that were eligible for crop and pasture subsidies but had not been declared by other applicants to OPEKEPE. In many cases, these were plots belonging to unsuspecting citizens, deceased individuals, or even the state.
Subsequently, leading members of the criminal organization in question or members with accounting knowledge would register the plots in the real estate declarations of their associates or relatives, who were listed as owners or lessors. Using this forged proof of ownership, applications for subsidies were submitted. The entries for the plots on the E9 forms of the alleged owners were deleted shortly thereafter, in an attempt to cover up the traces of the fraud.
In fact, police officers found that perpetrators posing as pasture owners also inflated the size of their herds, seeking even greater benefits.
In two cases, the criminal groups were supported by officials at Declaration Reception Centers, which act as intermediaries between producers and OPEKEPE. In this way, the perpetrators either had access to OPEKEPE’s maps and could more easily identify undeclared plots of land, or received preferential treatment in the processing of their applications.
One of the criminal groups operated differently: it established two companies that circulated fictitious sales documents and counterfeit seed certification labels. The illegal profits came when associates of the two companies submitted applications to OPEKEPE, attaching the irregular invoices as “proof” of their “activity.”
The wide geographical spread of the accused is also striking, reflecting the significant extent of organized crime’s infiltration into the realm of subsidies for the primary sector.
The first organization to be dismantled, leading to charges against more than 40 individuals, was active in Crete and Samos. The second, which was dismantled in early April and involves 290 individuals, was active in Kilkis and other areas of northern Greece.
Then, in May alone, the DAOE uncovered the activities of a group operating in many areas of Crete and two additional groups based in Macedonia, but whose “tentacles” reached as far as Crete, Athens, Santorini, and Epirus. In one of these groups, which is estimated to have been active since at least 2018, 404 defendants are implicated.
Systematic response
Separate information also indicates the significant emphasis that the Greek judiciary and police have placed for years on combating the illegal collection of agricultural subsidies.
It is indicative that, according to reports, a total of 70 audits have been ordered by OPEKEPE regarding potential irregularities in subsidies, involving both individuals and legal entities, with the first actions dating back to 2010.
“Every investigation requires a lot of time, data collection, thorough evaluation, and comparison. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but it’s always important to see an effort bear fruit,” noted a senior DAOE official, who insisted on remaining anonymous. “What matters is that we now have measurable results, and with each case, we too gain a better understanding of how all these groups were formed and how they operated,” he continued.
In addition to the broad investigation ordered by the prosecutor overseeing the “Greek FBI,” there are completed and ongoing investigations ordered by both first-instance prosecutors and the designated representatives of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.