Brussels, 27/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - Belgian sugar company BENEO-Orafti, a subsidiary of German giant Südzucker, is being investigated for alleged fraud in EU subsidies of up to €3 million, according to an article in Tuesday 27 October 2009's issue of the International Herald Tribune. The investigation is being carried out by the Belgian customs authorities and the EU's anti-fraud office, OLAF. The alleged crooks pretended to export sugar to Russia in order to obtain EU subsidies. After being sent to Russia, liquid sugar was sent by lorry to Croatia, whence it was secretly returned to the EU. OLAF explains that this is not a new case. OLAF says it is working with the European Commission to put an end to dodgy practices by some EU operators, which mix sugar with tea or cocoa powder (a mixture of sugar and cocoa power, for example, is not regarded as sugar but can be used as a cheaper ingredient in the manufacture of chocolate). This practice is not fraud as such, but is an illegal way of getting round the law. The competition department is carrying out investigations in Germany, Hungary and Belgium into alleged price fixing and sharing of customers. (L.C. trans fl)