Five Arrested in Norway for Fraud and Bribery in NATO Port Services

Five people were arrested on Wednesday in the Bergen area of Norway as part of an international investigation into alleged fraud and bribery linked to a company that provided port services to NATO warships. The operation, coordinated by Eurojust, included simultaneous searches in Romania and Germany, and authorities estimate that the scheme caused losses exceeding one million euros for Alliance member countries.

According to investigators, the company and its subcontractors allegedly submitted fraudulent invoices to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for 'husbandry' services—that is, the logistical support provided to vessels and their crews during port calls in northwestern Europe. Norway's National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime, Økokrim, stated that the overbilling scheme reportedly operated between 2021 and 2025 in Norwegian ports, including Bergen. Authorities also suspect the company used an intermediary to bribe foreign public officials in exchange for favorable treatment on its contracts with the NSPA.

The investigation has had Eurojust's support since April 2025, when a joint investigation team made up of authorities from Norway, Romania and the United Kingdom was formed to share evidence. German authorities also took part in the latest operation, carrying out searches in Hamburg under a European Investigation Order. Agencies involved include Norway's Økokrim, Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate, the UK's Crown Prosecution Service and Ministry of Defence Police, as well as Hamburg prosecutors and police. In Romania, the company's premises and several residences were searched, while in Germany two companies and one home were searched.

The five people arrested in Bergen were charged with aggravated fraud against the NSPA or complicity in that offense. Senior Prosecutor at Økokrim, Marianne Bender, warned that rising defense budgets worldwide carry an increased risk of economic crime, and noted that the case will take time to resolve given that it spans several years and a large number of vessel port calls. The NSPA said the inquiry adds to previous law enforcement actions carried out in 2024 and 2025, without providing further details, and recalled that in 2023 it had set up an investigative capability that was later turned into an Investigations Office to detect fraud and corruption in its procurement processes.

One outlet compared the case to the 'Fat Leonard' scandal in the United States, in which a Malaysian defense contractor bribed U.S. Navy officers to win port services contracts, with reported losses exceeding 35 million dollars. For now, neither Eurojust nor Norwegian authorities have identified the company or the detainees, and they clarified that the allegations have not yet been proven in court as the investigation continues.