European Commission competition regulators have raided chip giant Intel and a number of computer retailers in Europe.
'The commission has reason to believe that the companies concerned may have violated rules on restrictive business practices and/or abuse of a dominant market position,' the EU's competition regulator said.
It did not disclose the number or names of companies raided, or where they took place. The EU added that the inspections themselves did not mean the companies were guilty of anti-competitive behaviour.
But a spokesman for Intel confirmed that the company's office in Munich in Germany had been targeted, adding that it was cooperating. Later, British electrical retailer DSG International - which owns Currys and PC World - also said it one of the firms visited.
EU regulators have already filed competition charges against Intel in a separate ongoing case related to suspicions that it had abused its dominant market position.
