US DEA has its eye on Piraeus port

US Drug Enforcement Administration surveillance of suspected cause trafficking done Piraeus larboard led to the find of a monolithic customs fraud strategy that outgo Greek and European treasuries millions of euros.

The DEA had been monitoring Piraeus since 2019, when nonstop instrumentality shipping from Ecuador began bringing regular cocaine seizures hidden successful banana shipments. However, nary cause seizures from Asia had been recorded contempt the region’s large-scale heroin production, raising suspicions among American officials astir imaginable extortion networks.

US information agencies documented quality successful classified reports astir a 67-year-old businessman known arsenic “uncle,” who holds American citizenship, and his superior collaborator, a 61-year-old customs broker. The businessman allegedly imported implicit 40 containers of contraband cigarettes from Asia successful 2023 alone. Police aboriginal recovered 2.5 cardinal euros successful currency astatine the customs broker’s residence.

The probe revealed two fraud methods: Chinese products shipped to EU member-states without paying required taxes done ammunition companies, and customs officials issuing mendacious documentation to misclassify high-tariff items similar electrical bicycles arsenic spare parts.

American authorities identified three accomplices and suspected the web had infiltrated Greek Customs, fiscal transgression units, and police. In January 2024, weeks aft US quality reports were compiled, Piraeus was excluded from the EU’s anti-narcotics “Port Alliance” initiative.

The lawsuit gained momentum successful summertime 2024 when an informant provided elaborate descriptions of the smuggling network’s structure, naming the customs broker arsenic the operation’s person and identifying 10 Greek companies allegedly progressive successful fraudulent Chinese imports.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office took implicit the investigation, connecting it to ongoing operations successful Bari, Italy. In June, raids resulted successful 7 arrests, followed by three much arrests recently. Authorities person seized 2,430 containers astatine the larboard pending examination.