NATO warships alongside a pier in Kiel, Germany, during the BALTOPS 2023 exercise. European authorities are investigating suspected fraud involving port services provided to NATO military vessels. The ships pictured are not known to be connected to the investigation. (U.S. Navy photo)
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 were carried out Wednesday, October 14, alongside coordinated searches in Romania and Germany, according to Eurojust, the European Union’s agency for criminal justice cooperation.
Investigators suspect the company and its subcontractors submitted fraudulent invoices to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for husbandry services provided to military vessels during port calls in northwestern Europe.
Husbandry services cover essential shoreside support for ships and their crews during port visits.
Authorities estimate the alleged scheme has cost NATO member countries more than €1 million, although the full extent of the suspected fraud remains under investigation.
The investigation also includes allegations that the company used an intermediary to bribe foreign public officials in exchange for favorable treatment in its contractual dealings with the NSPA.
The NSPA, NATO’s primary logistics and procurement agency, identified the suspicious invoices and subsequently worked with investigators to provide evidence and information.
Wednesday’s coordinated operation resulted in five arrests in Norway, where authorities also searched residential and business properties. In Romania, investigators searched company premises and several homes, while German authorities searched two businesses and a residence.
The cross-border investigation began receiving support from Eurojust in April 2025. A joint investigation team was established three months later, bringing together authorities from Norway, Romania and the United Kingdom to share evidence and coordinate their work.
German authorities also participated in the latest operation, with searches conducted in Hamburg under a European Investigation Order.
Authorities involved include Norway’s economic crime agency Økokrim, Romania’s National Anticorruption Directorate, the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service and Ministry of Defence Police, and prosecutors and police in Hamburg.
Eurojust did not identify the company or the individuals arrested and said it could not provide further details while the investigation continues.
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