Norway police arrest 30 in major fisheries fraud investigation

Norwegian authorities, led by Økokrim, have arrested 30 individuals and charged 20 companies following a large-scale operation targeting organized crime within the fishing industry. The raids took place at more than 50 locations across nine police districts.

Investigators suspect a criminal network is involved in the systematic misreporting of whitefish data, including falsifying fish size, quantity, or species. Officials stated that such activities undermine the quota system and threaten the management of shared natural resources. The suspected fraud involves values estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of kroner.

Seven of those arrested have been remanded in custody to prevent the destruction of evidence. The operation involved close cooperation between Økokrim, the Directorate of Fisheries, the Coast Guard, Kripos, and the Norwegian Customs Service.