Norway arrests 5 suspected of defrauding Nato

Romanian and German police search several companies suspected of links to the alleged fraud involving Nato ship services. (EPA Images pic)

OSLO: Norwegian police said Wednesday that they had arrested five people as part of an investigation into aggravated fraud against a Nato agency.

The people, who were arrested in the region of Bergen in western Norway, are suspected of "over-invoicing" the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for services provided to Nato ships in Norwegian ports between 2021 and 2025.

"The overcharges are more than €1 million (US$1.12 million)," police said in a statement.

"Defence sector budgets are increasing worldwide, which entails an increased risk of economic crime.

"This is an area we are monitoring closely," said Marianne Bender, senior public prosecutor at Norway's national economic crime unit.

"If Nato has been defrauded, there will be a tough crackdown," she added.

Romanian and German police have also carried out searches at several companies in Romania and Germany suspected of being linked to the same case, according to the statement.