The police carried out a major operation: 11 people arrested

As stated in the announcement, the operation was carried out by members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Department for Combating Corruption of the Criminal Police Directorate, on the order of the Special Department for Suppression of Corruption of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad.

The following persons were arrested G.T. (1971), de facto representative of an entrepreneurial business from the vicinity of Odžak, and owners of farms from the vicinity of Odžak and Sombor, V.T. (1979), V.D. (1993), V.B. (1978), V.M. (1973), M.D. (1978), D.B. (1974), D.S. (1977), D.M. (1995), N.N. (1995) and M.A. (1977).

"It is suspected that G.T., during 2018, 2019 and 2021, issued false invoices to the owners of agricultural farms with multiply increased prices for the purchase of irrigation equipment, pallets, packaging lines and greenhouses, on the basis of which he received payments to the account of the business, and which he later returned as incorrectly paid funds," the Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement.

It is suspected that the owners of agricultural holdings, on the basis of that documentation, were entitled to incentive funds from the Provincial Secretariat for Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry, which were paid to them.

"Thus, the arrested persons are suspected to have illegally appropriated around 12.3 million dinars, damaging the Provincial Secretariat for Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry," the statement added.

The suspects were detained for up to 48 hours and they will be brought to the competent prosecutor's office with a criminal report.