Gold smuggling circuit: sugar, girls and 400,000 euros of turnover per day

Those arrested at the time of the dismantling of the two criminal organizations – 63 in total – should be interrogated to take time.

From the preliminary investigation, it was revealed the methodology of action of individual members and both groups, as well as their hierarchical structure.

In particular, according to the police, the conduct and conduct of investigations revealed that, based in the center of Athens and having a network extending throughout the Greek territory, two distinct criminal organizations, involved in smuggling of gold, mainly in the form of ferrous scrap, by multiplying offenses against the payment of legal taxes and other legal expenses related to the purchase, sale, receipt, distribution, marketing , possession, storage and Turkey.

The quantities of gold came from the merger of an unknown origin of jewelery, books and other valuables, which had been in their possession, through purchases or pledges, while there were indications that some of them were proceeds of crime.

Both groups have been active for an unknown time, but for at least two years now, with a corporate structure, that is, a clear division of roles for their members, as well as many other means. technical and financial, in order to maximize economic benefits.

They were even involved in their illegal transactions, without risk of random checks, because were formally "legal" since they operated under the guise of legitimate businesses, every day, large amounts exceeding € 400,000.

The main characteristic of the organizations was that, thanks to the abundance of their financial means, mainly to their leaders, funded their members every day, in order to buy almost all the gold that citizens promised or sold in related stores for a minimum of money, as well as to buy gold from any source of irrelevant origin.

The criminal activity was aimed at the smuggling of gold, and in particular the Continuous and uninterrupted illegal export to Turkey mainly via tourist buses who were on the Athens-Istanbul route and vice versa.

A typical case of gold transfer is the arrest of a member of a criminal organization working in a tourist bus in possession of money (12 000) euros and (17) ) gold bullion, weighing (24.6) kilograms of estimated value about (600,000) euros and a large gold coin.

In addition, the two criminal organizations worked, with a cover of legitimate businesses, with a similar purpose of illegal activity, thus ensuring coverage and avoidance of the consequences of the law.