Unidad contra la Delincuencia Económica y Financiera (UDEF)

The Unidad contra la Delincuencia Económica y Financiera (UDEF), or Economic and Financial Crime Unit of the Spanish National Police, is currently investigating a significant alleged embezzlement case at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Spain's National Cancer Research Center. The investigation, also involving the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, centers around allegations that Juan Arroyo, the former manager of the CNIO, directed and covered up the misappropriation of between €25 and €30 million over a 17-year period. This investigation has led to Arroyo's dismissal, along with two subordinates. The UDEF's involvement is newsworthy due to the scale of the alleged fraud, the high profile of the CNIO, and the potential implications for public funding of scientific research. The investigation is also scrutinizing the relationship between Arroyo and Mariano Barbacid, a renowned scientist at the CNIO, including shared business addresses and contracts.