Almost 40 people north and south of the Border have been questioned about irregular claims for EU ewe premiums in the past year.
The Northern authorities have hired four former RUC detectives to investigate false claims for non-existent sheep in the south Armagh area. An interim report sent to the Northern Ireland Executive has found frauds similar to those exposed in the Republic when the foot-and-mouth crisis froze all animal movements.
Department of Agriculture figures showed that 51 farmers had made excessive claims for the premium and 101 of 275 farmers could produce only 80 per cent of what they had claimed.