Greece

People

Greece remains a notable hub for human trafficking, serving as a source, transit and destination country. The country’s geographical position – connecting Western Asia and the broader European continent ¬– facilitates the movement of trafficking victims. Victims are overwhelmingly women and minors, originating mainly from Greece, Moldova and Romania. Organized crime groups, both domestic and transnational, are deeply embedded in the trade, with hierarchical structures distinguishing recruitment, transportation and exploitation roles. Some traffickers specifically target refugee and migrant populations, exploiting the vulnerabilities of unaccompanied minors and women in camps. Sex trafficking remains prevalent, with illicit operations in brothels, strip clubs, hotels and massage parlours. Forced labour is also a key concern, particularly in agriculture and construction, where trafficked individuals, particularly men, are subjected to debt bondage. Additionally, Greece has reported cases of trafficking in infants through fraudulent adoptions and illicit surrogacy networks. Human trafficking in Greece has strong links to money laundering through real estate investments, and in some cases, extortion, where traffickers use violent means to coerce payments from migrants.

Human smuggling remains one of the most lucrative criminal markets in Greece, with migrants and asylum seekers – predominantly from Syria, Palestine, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone – being smuggled into Greece from Türkiye and beyond. Organized crime groups dominate this trade, offering smuggling services that often result in extortion, fraud and exploitation of vulnerable individuals. Smuggling operations are typically managed by highly structured networks, often dominated by Greek, Syrian, Iraqi, Egyptian and Afghan groups. The smuggling market has deteriorated over the years, notably following the Pylos shipwreck, which highlighted both the scale of human smuggling and concerns over violent pushback operations by Greek authorities. There is an increasing reliance on high-quality forged documents, many of which are produced in transnational criminal workshops. Furthermore, Greek law enforcement and border officials have been implicated in cases of corruption, aiding illegal migrant entry and transit.

Extortion and protection racketeering continue to be embedded in organized crime structures across Greece. Criminal groups (including those with mafia-style operations) target businesses, particularly in the entertainment sector. The extortion market was initially affected by Greece’s economic crisis, leading to a shift in focus from large nightclubs to smaller businesses and kiosks, as well as to coercive debt collection. Extortionists demand ‘protection fees’, with amounts varying from a few hundred to thousands of euros weekly. The market has recovered post-pandemic, with increasing reports of violence against non-compliant business owners.

Trade

Arms trafficking remains a secondary yet persistent criminal activity in Greece. The country serves as both a destination and a transit point for illicit firearms originating from Albania, Bulgaria and North Macedonia. Smuggling routes extend from Türkiye, Syria and Libya. Although Greece has a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on illegal arms, bureaucratic licensing delays and high prices in the legal arms market push some individuals toward illicit trade. Encrypted messaging apps and the dark web have facilitated online arms trafficking, allowing buyers and sellers to evade detection.

Greece remains a key transit country for counterfeit goods moving into the EU, largely due to its strategic location and the high influx of tourists. Post-pandemic, illicit trade has surged, with e-commerce and social media playing a major role in distribution. Counterfeit goods primarily originate from Türkiye and China, with organized networks operating in tourist hubs such as Monastiraki, Crete and Rhodes. Law enforcement dismantled significant counterfeit rings in 2024, yet the market continues to thrive, impacting legitimate businesses and national revenue. Counterfeiting networks frequently overlap with money laundering and tax fraud schemes.

Illicit trade in excise goods, particularly tobacco and alcohol, remains significant. Greece has transitioned from being a transit country to a production hub for counterfeit cigarettes. Law enforcement seizures of smuggled tobacco and alcohol remain high, with operations linked to larger European mafia structures. High taxation on legal goods sustains demand for illicit alternatives.

Environment

Flora crimes are relatively limited in Greece, though illegal logging intensifies during winter due to heating costs. The most common flora-related crime in Greece is illegal timber trade. The market is largely localized, with some evidence of cross-border smuggling from neighbouring countries. Fauna crimes, including wildlife trafficking, are emerging concerns. Greece serves as a transit country for smuggled animals and animal products, particularly songbirds and reptiles. Poaching hotspots include protected areas such as the Ambracian Gulf and the Ionian Islands. Online marketplaces facilitate the illegal sale of wildlife, often through anonymous transactions. Non-renewable resource crimes, particularly fuel smuggling, have expanded in recent years. Greece's high fuel prices create demand for illicitly imported fuel, often linked to organized crime. The Greek mafia exerts considerable control over fuel smuggling networks, engaging in tax fraud and money laundering. Illicit oil shipments from sanctioned countries, including Russia and Iran, transit through Greece.

Drugs

Greece remains a major transit point for heroin, given its position on the Southern Balkan route. The trade has seen a slight decline due to shifting consumer preferences toward cocaine and synthetic drugs. Heroin trafficking networks are poly-drug operations, with actors from Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Türkiye, as well as domestic criminal groups, facilitating distribution. Cocaine trafficking has surged, with Greece becoming an important entry point for South American cocaine into Europe. Ports in Piraeus and Thessaloniki play a key role in transshipment, often through rip-on/rip-off container smuggling. Ethnic Albanian, ethnic Serb and Greek criminal organizations dominate this trade, with increasing violence linked to control over distribution networks. Cannabis remains widely trafficked, with Albania serving as the primary source. Domestic cultivation exists but is secondary to imports. Greece also plays a role in medical cannabis production, with legal exports increasing. Synthetic drugs are a growing concern, with rising methamphetamine and MDMA use. Although Greece is not a primary producer, the country serves as a transit route, with shipments mainly originating from the Netherlands and passing through maritime routes.

Cyber Crimes

Cybercrime has escalated in Greece, with increased ransomware and DDoS attacks targeting government agencies, hospitals and businesses. Greece ranks among the most vulnerable EU countries due to weak cybersecurity measures. Criminal actors operate both domestically and internationally, often exploiting Greece’s weak digital protections.

Financial Crimes

Financial crimes, particularly VAT fraud, scams and embezzlement, remain entrenched in Greece. Corruption in the financial sector facilitates illicit transactions, with investigations revealing extensive fraud in EU fund allocations and the ‘Golden Visa’ programme. VAT fraud schemes, including carousel fraud, continue to drain public revenue. Digital payment fraud has escalated, reflecting the increasing sophistication of cyber-enabled financial crimes. Financial fraud, including phishing and online investment scams, has surged, leading to significant economic losses.

Criminal Actors

Greek mafia-style groups, often referred to as the ‘Greek Mafia’, maintain a notable presence in the country’s criminal landscape. Their structure is less hierarchical than traditional mafias. Despite this, these groups have evolved in response to economic and law enforcement pressures, merging smaller organizations into more centralized entities. At present, multiple major criminal organizations operate in Athens, consolidating power through mutual agreements between leaders. These groups engage in various illicit activities, including drug trafficking, arms trade, extortion, money laundering and the control of nightclubs. The assassination of a key mafia leader in early 2024 underscored ongoing internal conflicts and power struggles. These groups are also believed to have infiltrated the correctional system, with convicted leaders continuing to manage operations from within prison walls. Their influence extends to law enforcement and political figures, creating systemic vulnerabilities that enable their continued operation.

Loosely structured criminal networks in Greece operate across a wide range of illicit markets. These groups are often more flexible and opportunistic than mafia-style organizations, making them difficult to dismantle. Many criminal networks are involved in drug trafficking, cybercrime, human smuggling and economic crimes, with a notable concentration in border regions, major cities and popular tourist destinations. Although some networks consist primarily of domestic actors, others have strong transnational ties, especially in cyber-related offenses. Unlike the Greek Mafia, these networks lack a rigid hierarchy, operating instead through decentralized cells that facilitate cross-border operations. The rise of financial crime and cyber-dependent offenses has allowed these networks to expand their influence, often collaborating with private-sector actors to launder money and conceal illicit activities.

Despite efforts to combat organized crime, corruption within Greece’s state institutions remains a critical issue. Reports indicate that police officers, politicians and judicial officials have engaged in activities that facilitate organized crime, from overlooking illicit dealings to directly participating in criminal enterprises. Corruption within law enforcement is particularly concerning, as it enables drug trafficking, human smuggling and financial crimes to persist with relative impunity. In 2024, allegations surfaced regarding police officers withholding key evidence in mafia-related murder cases, highlighting the deep-seated connections between organized crime and state institutions. Furthermore, political actors have been implicated in high-level corruption scandals, reinforcing public perception that organized crime is intertwined with governance structures. The ability of criminal groups to manipulate regulatory bodies and law enforcement poses a direct threat to democratic processes and the rule of law.

Foreign criminal organizations maintain a strong presence in Greece, with ethnic Albanian, Serbo–Montenegrin, Russian, Georgian and Italian mafia groups exerting significant influence. Ethnic Albanian organized crime groups, in particular, are known for their involvement in drug trafficking and violent enforcement tactics, often collaborating with Greek criminal groups in smuggling operations. Nigerian, Afghan and Pakistani criminal actors have also been linked to human smuggling and drug-related crimes, particularly in border regions and urban centres. Greek and foreign actors frequently collaborate in illicit markets such as narcotics, arms and counterfeit goods, with transnational syndicates playing a crucial role in the import and export of illicit commodities. Although foreign criminal actors contribute to the country’s organized crime landscape, Greek nationals typically retain control over domestic criminal markets, particularly in extortion and arms trafficking.

The private sector plays a critical role in facilitating organized crime in Greece, particularly through financial institutions, real estate and illicit business fronts. Money laundering is a primary concern, with criminals exploiting banks, money transfer services and luxury goods markets to legitimize illicit profits. Criminal networks frequently use businesses as fronts for laundering proceeds from drug trafficking, extortion and fraud. Real estate transactions are another avenue for illicit financial flows, with high-value properties serving as vehicles for laundering money derived from criminal enterprises. Moreover, the overlap between legal and illicit markets blurs accountability, allowing criminal actors to operate under the guise of legitimate business dealings. Although regulatory measures have been introduced to combat financial crimes, enforcement remains inconsistent, allowing private-sector actors to continue enabling organized crime.

Leadership and governance

Greece has adopted a formal stance of ‘zero tolerance’ toward organized crime, aligning with international conventions and the EU’s Strategy against Organized Crime 2021–2025. The Greek Parliament has recognized the severe societal impact of organized crime, especially cyber-dependent crimes, the prevention of which has been incorporated into government policy such as digital crime reporting and the National Cybersecurity Strategy (2020–2025). However, organized crime remains closely linked to political corruption. Reports of police officers participating in criminal networks, collusion between mobsters and high-ranking officials, and the influence of organized crime within prisons point to systemic weaknesses. Corruption in the healthcare sector is particularly pervasive, leading to significant financial losses in past years. The government’s anti-organized crime measures have had limited impact in targeting high-level offenders, focusing instead on lower-tier actors. Additionally, the fear of crime is frequently used by political parties to advance their agendas, further eroding public trust in government institutions. Surveys consistently indicate low confidence in governmental effectiveness, particularly in addressing crime and corruption.

Greece has institutions dedicated to transparency, including the National Transparency Authority, the General Inspector of Public Administration, and the financial and economic crime unit. Electronic governance and procurement platforms have been introduced to increase accountability. Despite these efforts, Greece continues to experience persistent challenges in transparency. Public procurement processes remain vulnerable to corruption, and Greek citizens widely perceive public contract decisions as being influenced by illicit interests. International bodies, including the European Parliament, have raised concerns about political corruption and government transparency, further highlighting weaknesses in governance.

Greece actively engages in international cooperation against organized crime, having ratified key treaties such as the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. It participates in European security mechanisms, including the European Arrest Warrant and Europol initiatives. In 2024, Greece collaborated with international law enforcement to dismantle significant organized crime groups, including Montenegrin clans and other Western Balkans drug trafficking networks. The country also improved cooperation with Türkiye on tackling migrant smuggling in the Aegean Sea. Despite these efforts, international assessments suggest that Greece’s compliance with global crime-fighting standards remains inconsistent, often hampered by high-level corruption and bureaucratic inefficiencies.

Greece’s legal framework against organized crime is extensive, encompassing legislation on drug trafficking, financial crimes and human trafficking. Recent legal amendments have strengthened anti-money laundering measures and VAT fraud prevention. However, implementation remains a key challenge, as laws often lack the necessary enforcement mechanisms. The judiciary is perceived as lenient towards organized crime figures, with only lower-tier offenders typically prosecuted. In 2024, legislative reforms introduced harsher sentencing measures, but judicial inefficiencies and corruption continue to undermine the effectiveness of these policies.

Criminal justice and security

Greece lacks specialized courts for organized crime, with cases being handled by general courts. Judicial inefficiencies, corruption and staff shortages contribute to case backlogs and delayed prosecutions. Sentences for organized crime figures are often reduced through legal provisions such as conditional release. Although judges are formally independent, public trust in judicial impartiality remains low due to perceptions of political and economic interference. Concerns have been raised about Greece’s new penal code, which extends incarceration periods but lacks provisions for tackling high-level corruption and organized crime involvement in the judicial system.

The Greek police have dedicated units for tackling organized crime, including narcotics, cybercrime and financial crimes. However, these units often only apprehend low-ranking criminals, leaving criminal networks largely intact. Reports of police collusion with organized crime persist, with allegations of officers aiding fuel smuggling operations and participating in drug trafficking. Additionally, municipal police forces have expanded their authority, now carrying weapons and making arrests, but their effectiveness remains unclear.

Greece’s geographical position makes it a crucial transit point for organized crime, particularly in human trafficking, drug smuggling and arms trade. The government has increased border security, deploying surveillance technology, erecting border fencing and expanding coastal patrols. However, persistent corruption among border officials, as seen in recent smuggling cases, continues to undermine these efforts. The Aegean Sea remains a hotspot for irregular migration, stretching Greece’s security resources.

Economic and financial environment

Greece has strengthened its anti-money laundering framework in line with EU directives, including measures targeting gambling transactions and cross-border financial flows. The Hellenic Financial Intelligence Unit oversees financial crime investigations, and the Bank of Greece enforces compliance among financial institutions. Despite these measures, Greece still faces challenges in prosecuting money laundering cases, particularly within the non-financial sector. Further refinements in financial intelligence-sharing are needed to address cross-border financial crimes more effectively.

Greece’s economic regulatory environment has seen improvements in corporate governance laws, requiring internal audits and risk management in public companies. However, bureaucratic inefficiencies and administrative delays continue to impact business operations. The country ranks below regional averages in economic freedom, with sectors such as arms trading, counterfeit goods and illicit fuel trade being highly vulnerable to organized crime infiltration. Efforts to combat financial crime include increased transparency in real estate transactions and enhanced monitoring of financial transactions, but enforcement remains inconsistent.

Civil society and social protection

Greece has established legal frameworks for victim and witness support, particularly for human trafficking victims. Government agencies, frequently partnering with NGOs, provide shelters, legal aid and medical assistance. However, whistleblower protections remain weak, with ongoing concerns about governmental retaliation against those exposing corruption. Reports of human rights violations, particularly against asylum seekers, further undermine confidence in victim protection services.

Greece’s crime prevention policies focus primarily on repression rather than proactive intervention. Despite the country’s adherence to international conventions on crime prevention, implementation remains inconsistent. Efforts to curb cybercrime include national cybersecurity strategies, yet challenges persist in enforcement and digital awareness campaigns. Recent initiatives to combat fuel smuggling and financial fraud indicate a growing emphasis on prevention, yet corruption remains a barrier to effective implementation. The Greek government has collaborated with NGOs to combat human trafficking and wildlife crimes, but overall civil society engagement is limited. Civil society organizations, particularly those advocating for migrant rights, frequently face restrictions. The government has been accused of limiting press freedom and surveilling journalists investigating organized crime, including through the use of spyware. Media concentration among politically connected individuals further restricts independent reporting on corruption and criminal activities. Environmental NGOs have also faced challenges, with limited state support for addressing illegal wildlife trade and environmental crimes.