Lives in the Shadows: Inside Greece’s Quiet War on the Underworld
The Hellenic Police (EL.AS.) is intensifying its fight against organized crime by training undercover officers, establishing shell companies, and safeguarding 61 informants crucial to ongoing investigations.
Undercover Efforts and Informant Protection
These 61 individuals provide essential testimony across 57 active probes involving homicides, drugs, and corruption. Due to the serious risks they face, the state sometimes covers their daily living costs, including rent, food, or relocation.
“Around 15 of these cases are considered particularly sensitive, with credible threats against the informants’ lives.”
New Strategy Against Organized Crime
Authorities are about to launch an ambitious strategy under the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (DAOE), often called the “Greek FBI.” This plan combines undercover work with intelligence operations to dismantle criminal networks operating in the shadows.
Approximately 15 officers will receive specialized training to prepare for long-term undercover assignments within this complex framework.
Scope of the Criminal Networks
Greece’s organized crime reaches into a global, multibillion-dollar black market dealing in stolen gold, diamonds, and jewels, often taken from museums and private collections.
“The fight against organized crime in Greece has moved underground, into a world of assumed identities and silent bargains, where the police protect those who risk everything to expose what lies beneath.”
Summary
The Hellenic Police is adopting covert operations and informant protection to combat Greece’s deep-rooted organized crime, with new training and tactics spearheading the effort.