Five people have been arrested in Norway as part of an international investigation into suspected fraud and bribery involving a company providing port services to NATO warships. The arrests on Wednesday, 14 October, were accompanied by coordinated searches in Romania and Germany, the EU’s criminal justice agency Eurojust said.
Investigators suspect the company and its subcontractors submitted fraudulent invoices to NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for essential services provided to military vessels during port calls in north-western Europe. The alleged fraud is estimated to have cost NATO member states more than €1 million.
The probe also involves allegations that an intermediary was used to bribe foreign public officials in return for favourable treatment in contractual dealings with the agency. The NSPA flagged the suspicious invoices and assisted investigators by providing evidence.
Searches were conducted at homes and business premises across the three countries, including in Hamburg. Eurojust has supported the cross-border investigation since April 2025, with authorities from Norway, Romania and the UK forming a joint investigation team in July.
German authorities joined the latest operation. The company and those arrested have not been named. Eurojust said it could not provide further details while the investigation continues.