US embassy cable - 05ATHENS2545

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ATHENS 002545 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR INR/I, EUR/SE, EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2015 
TAGS: PINR, GR, INTERNAL 
SUBJECT: ORGANIZED CRIME GROUPS IN GREECE (C-CN5-00417) 
 
REF: STATE 146246 
 
Classified By: POL OFFICER TOM YAZDGERDI FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) 
 
1.  (C)  In response to ref, post provides the following 
information on organized crime groups in Greece (keyed to ref 
questions): 
 
A.  Are there organized crime groups present in the host 
country that originated in the following countries:  Russia, 
Ukraine, Italy, the Balkans (Albania, Serbia, Bosnia), Japan, 
Greater China (China, Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan), or West 
Africa?  What is the extent or nature of their presence? 
 
-- 2004 data received from Greek police authorities detail 
the following criminal groups and nature and extent of 
activity (in order of importance): 
 
1)  Albanian:  25 identified organized crime (OC) groups, 128 
identified members, 9 of whom are considered key.  Mainly 
involved in illegal trafficking in drugs (cannabis, heroin, 
cocaine), human trafficking (including of minors), thefts and 
robberies.  Exhibit the most intense activity of any foreign 
OC group.  Quite often, these groups resort to violence in 
order to achieve their objectives and to maintain structural 
cohesion.  The activity of these groups is supported by the 
large number of Albanian immigrants living and working in 
Greece. 
 
2)  Turkish:  3 OC groups, 50 identified members, 3 of whom 
are considered key.  Involved in alien smuggling from Turkey 
via the sea to neighboring Greek islands and to the Greek 
mainland via the Greek-Turkish land border (Evros River). 
 
3)  Bulgarian:  7 OC groups, 49 identified members, 7 of whom 
are considered key.  Involved in human trafficking (including 
trade in infants; in all cases, with the cooperation of the 
mother or mother's relatives), counterfeiting and forgery. 
Using a very sophisticated methodology, Bulgarian groups 
produce in their own country false documents and seals of 
public services and then smuggle them to Greece for further 
elaboration and exploitation.  Regarding counterfeiting, 
these groups in cooperation with Greek members import fake 
banknotes (50 and 100 euro notes, mainly) into Greece. 
 
4)  Egyptian:  8 OC groups, 48 identified members, 10 of whom 
are considered key.  Involved in alien smuggling.  Their 
activity has become more intense in recent years. 
 
5)  Pakistani: 9 OC groups, 48 identified members, 1 of whom 
is considered key.  Involved in alien smuggling.  Widespread 
abuse against their illegal alien charges, including torture, 
violence, illegal detention and extortion (getting the 
aliens' families to pay for their release once in Greece). 
 
6)  Georgian:  1 OC group, 41 identified members, 2 of whom 
are considered key. Involved in the smuggling of stolen 
vehicles and some alien smuggling.  Greece remains a transit 
point for stolen vehicle trafficking from Western European 
countries (in particular, France, Italy, Germany and Spain) 
to countries of Eastern Europe, former USSR, Middle East and 
Asia.  Investigation of this OC group, which deals with 
stolen vehicles from Central Europe to Georgia, is still 
on-going. 
 
7)  Italian: 1 OC group, 34 identified members (joint group 
with Greek members), 5 of whom are considered key.  Involved 
in smuggling of stolen vehicles. 
 
8)  Russian:  2 OC groups, 26 identified members, 4 of whom 
are considered key.  Involved in human trafficking, alien 
smuggling and cigarette smuggling. 
 
9)  Romanian: 4 OC groups, 18 identified members, 1 of whom 
is considered key.  Involved in theftm, human trafficking and 
fraud. 
 
10)  Nigerian:  3 OC groups, 17 identified members.  Involved 
in drug trafficking, especially estasy pills, and copyright 
infringements, particularly CDs. 
 
11) Chinese:  2 OC groups, 10 identified members, 1 of whom 
is considered key.  Involved in smuggling illegal Chinese 
aliens.  During 2004 there were several cases of Chinese 
immigrants coming from Turkey to Greece.  These aliens were 
transported via the land borders and hidden in vehciles 
(trucks, coaches).  Chinese alien smugglers were particularly 
brutal, using violence, torture and extortion (forcing the 
aliens' families to pay from 8,000-17,000 euros). 
 
12)  Ukrainian:  3 OC groups (joint groups with Greek 
participation), 10 identified members, 1 on whom is 
considered key.  Involved in alien smuggling, human 
trafficking and fraud. 
 
13) Moldovan:  2 OC groups (joint groups with Greek 
participation), 9 identified members, 2 of whom are 
considered key.  Involved in human trafficking and alien 
smuggling. 
 
14) Macedonian:  1 OC group, 4 identified members.  Involved 
in alien and cigarette smuggling.  Smuggled cigarettes are 
illegally imported to Greece where they are forwarded by 
truck, via the ports of Piraeus, Patras and Igoumenitsa, to 
Northern European countries, mainly the UK, where cigarette 
taxes are high.  In some cases, cargoes were destined for 
Greece as well. 
 
15)  Serbian:  1 OC group (joint group with Greek 
participation), 3 identified members.  Involved in fraud, 
especially involving credit cards. 
 
16)  Croatian:  1 OC group, 5 identified members.  Involved 
in smuggling of stolen vehicles. 
 
17)  Cameroon (joint group with French and Nigerian 
participation): 1 OC group, 4 identified members.  Involved 
in fraud. 
 
Note:  Japan and Bosnia are not present at all in OC cases. 
 
B.  What types of criminal activity are these groups engaged 
in (see above)?  What is the economic impact of the criminal 
activity? 
 
--  No systematic research has been undertaken to determine 
the impact of OC activity on the Greek economy.  No reliable 
statistics exist that can compare the profits from criminal 
activities to those of legal activities.  Anecdotal evidence 
suggests, however, that given Greece's large informal economy 
(typically 28-35 percent of GDP), OC activity might have a 
significant impact. 
 
C.  What front companies do the groups use?  What 
relationship, if any, is there between the criminal groups 
listed above and crime groups indigenous to the host country? 
 Are there indications that the groups listed above cooperate 
with each or other international criminals? 
 
--  Front companies that are used include 
shipping/transportation companies and small businesses. 
Based on case studies, police have determined that most OC 
groups do not resort to crimes such as robberies to finance 
their illegal activities.  There is a strong connection 
between criminal groups listed above and indigenous crime 
groups.  In fact, criminal "joint ventures" made up of Greek 
and foreign criminals make up a little over a quarter 
(47/178) of known OC organizations in the country.  Another 
quarter is wholly Greek (48/178) and the rest are wholly 
foreign.  Most OC groups operating in Greece had connections 
with foreign countries, with Turkey, Albania, Italy, and 
Bulgaria having the most contact. 
 
D.  Are there indications of links or connections between 
these groups and terrorist organizations in the host country? 
 
--  There is no evidence to suggest this link. 
 
E.  Is there evidence of corrupt relationships bewteen these 
groups and host country businessmen or government officials? 
What is the nature of these relationships?  If possible, 
please provide examples of these crime groups coercing 
business or government officials. 
--  In some cases, OC groups cannot accomplish their goals 
without the tolerance and protection of civil servants.  Most 
of these corruption cases do not involve coercion.  Most 
example among government officials had to do with fraud and 
forgery in relation to illegal aliens.  Greek police provided 
the following examples in 2004: 
 
1) Forgery:  A senior official of the Labor Directorate of 
the prefecture of Athens, with the supoprt of other 
employees, issued false residence permits.  An employee at 
the municipality of Mykonos was found to be a member of an OC 
group dealing with document forgery concerning labor permits 
for aliens.  Employees at the municipality fo Gerakas were 
members of a group that issued large numbers of false 
residence permits to aliens. 
 
2) Drugs:  An employee at the Judiciary Prison of Diavata, 
Thessaloniki, was a member of a group trafficking heroin into 
the prison. 
 
3) Counterfeiting/Human Trafficking: A border goard of the 
Illegal Immigrant Enforcement Section of the Public Order 
Ministry was a key member of a group dealing with counterfeit 
euros, as well as human and drug trafficking. 
 
4) Cigarette Smuggling:  A police officer participated in a 
group dealing with the transportation of smuggled cigarettes. 
 
5) Robberies:  A retired police officer participated in a 
group committing robberies. 
 
6) Child Pornography: A mathematician/teacher who worked at 
Thessaloniki University was part of a ring which distributed 
child pornography over the Internet using the computer 
network of the university. 
 
7) Fraud:  A bank teller who facilitated loans with the use 
of false documents was found be a member of an OC group. 
COUNTRYMAN