Two foreigners, aged 31 and 19, were arrested in Kallithea on June 23, following a coordinated operation by the Immigration Management Department of the Attica Aliens Directorate. They are accused of forming a gang, forgery, and possessing forged travel documents. Additionally, the 31-year-old faces charges related to narcotics violations.
According to ELAS, after thorough investigation and collaboration with EUROPOL, it was discovered that the defendants were part of an organized network producing and trafficking forged travel documents to facilitate illegal migration to European Union countries, primarily via air routes.
This network targeted migrants who had illegally arrived in Rhodes from Turkey, managing their transportation from Rhodes to Athens and onwards to other EU countries using counterfeit travel documents.
The 31-year-old operated a fully equipped workshop for document forgery, utilizing specialized equipment for printing and engraving. The 19-year-old assisted in this operation.
Reports indicated that the 31-year-old had been preparing and selling forged travel documents since 2022. German authorities had previously seized a package containing a counterfeit driving license from him in 2022.
To evade law enforcement, the 31-year-old implemented various security measures, including setting up his workshop in a residential area and receiving orders from trafficking networks through online communication and social media.
He requested photographs of the migrants, specific details for the documents, and information about their countries of origin and document types (passport or ID card) from these networks.
The 19-year-old accomplice was responsible for delivering the forged documents and was found with a significant stash of counterfeit documents and materials for forgery at his home.
The trafficking ring charged approximately 4,800 euros per migrant for the illegal transfer from Turkey to Rhodes, 1,200 euros for transport from Rhodes to Athens, and 800 euros for each forged document. The total number of forged documents trafficked is estimated to be in the thousands, resulting in illegal profits exceeding 120,000 euros.
During their arrest in Kallithea, authorities seized a range of items from their homes, including:
- A fully equipped document forgery lab (2 laptops, 2 printers, a heat sealer, a document scanner, various raw materials)
- 77 passports
- 70 pages of passport data
- 55 gelatin sheets with passport security features
- 3 identity cards
- 3 residence permits
- 2 driving licenses
- 2 asylum cards
- 2 consular entry visas (VISA)
- A small quantity of raw cannabis
- 900 euros in cash
- 2 mobile phones
ELAS also noted that the 31-year-old had prior arrests for similar offenses, with two pending prosecution documents (an arrest warrant and a conviction) for various crimes.
The statement emphasized that this operation was part of the National Operational Plan (NOP) and the EMPACT EAST MED 2.2 Operational Action of the EU policy cycle, led by Greece. The Directorate of Aliens maintains collaboration with EUROPOL to further investigate the ring’s international activities.
The arrested individuals have been referred to the appropriate public prosecutor.
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