Italian police uncover ‘ghost ship’ oil scam

Three navy officers were arrested for their part in the plot, which saw Italian businessmen with ties to the Rome criminal underworld supply on paper 11 million litres of oil to a military base in Augusta in Sicily for a tanker which had sunk in 2013.

The businessmen submitted a bill for over €7.0 million to the Treasury for the oil, which the navy officers signed for – with one even attesting to the quality of the product for the ship, the doomed "Victory 1".

A police statement said the money had been seized under court order, while raids were being carried out at the homes and offices of those arrested as part of the operation, code-named "Ghost Ship".