Brussels, 19/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - After an investigation lasting more than three years, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) announced on Wednesday that it had closed an investigation into the fraudulent importation into seven Member States (Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) of chemical components (potassium, ammonium and sodium) originating in China. The amount of the fraud totals over EUR 5 million and half this amount has already been recovered by the Member States. OLAF specifies that these chemical products (persulphates), used as oxidising agents and bleaches in the chemical industry, food conservation, medical analysis and petroleum extraction, were imported by companies in breach of the anti-dumping rules. False declarations of origin were drafted in order to pay lighter duties. The inquiry was carried out in close collaboration with the Member States concerned.