Crime in Greece

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Crime in Greece is combated by the Hellenic Police and other agencies.

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During the 1980s, Greek Police Chief Nikon Arkoudeas (Νίκων Αρκουδέας) led an intense campaign against organized crime, which saw significant success. Since the early 1990s, many illegal immigrants have come to Greece from Eastern European and Southeast European countries, Africa and South Asia.

The Greek Police also had several victories, breaking up mafia organizations[ vague ][ specify ], arresting the 17 November terrorist group, [1] successfully organizing security for the 2004 Olympic Games [ vague ] and for breaking up in 2016 the largest criminal organization in the country, responsible for more than 2,000 robberies[ citation needed ].

Crime by type

Murder

In 2011, Greece had a murder rate of 1.7 per 100,000 population. [2] There were a total of 184 murders in Greece in 2011. [2]

Number of homicides per year in Greece from 2000 to 2019
Crime in Greece
Sources: Hellenic Police. Annual crime data reports. [3]

Organized crime

Organized crime in Greece is on the rise. [4] Domestic as well as foreign criminal groups are well-entrenched in Greek society. Traditionally, people associated with organized crime were known as Men of the night (άνθρωποι της νύχτας). Out of the foreign criminal groups the Albanian mafia is the most prevalent. The activities of the Albanian crime groups in Greece include drug trafficking, human trafficking, extortion and robbery among others.

Albanian criminal groups often export other immigrants to Greece, especially Middle Eastern and Pakistani shopkeepers, and control many nightclubs in the working-class districts of West Athens. Russian groups are less numerous, but they are very heavily armed and dangerous; they are involved in arms trafficking, extortion and cigarette smuggling. Lower-level Romanian and Moldavian groups are involved in theft and human trafficking. [5]

Domestic, ethnic Greek criminal organizations are the most powerful and politically well-connected and extensively cooperate with Albanian groups, often hiring Albanians to act as enforcers. Greek criminal organizations are involved in human trafficking, extortion, drug trafficking, kidnapping and the infiltration of legal businesses. They have profited from the rising corruption. That is evident in the fact that Greek crime groups have infiltrated the shipping industry, which is used to traffic cocaine and heroin into the Greek mainland and abroad. [5]

Property crime

As of 2011, Greece has seen an increase in property-related crime, thought to be linked to the worsening of economic conditions. [6] Robberies, ranging from street muggings to bank hold-ups and house burglaries, totaled about 80,000 in 2009, up from about 50,000 in 2005. [6] The increase in property crime has seen an increase in the amount of work for private security companies. [6] Nevertheless, the crime rate is still among the lowest in Western Europe.

In 2016, the Greek police successfully broke up the country's largest criminal organization in Greece's history, which was responsible for more than 2,000 house burglaries across the country, in an operation where at least 1,000 policemen and 37 judges participated.

Immigrant crime

The Greek police have admitted that armed gangs entering the country from neighbouring Albania or Bulgaria could have been attracted by reports that many people have been withdrawing cash from banks and stashing it in their homes. [7] There are possibly more than 1 million illegal immigrants inside Greece as of 2012. [7] [8] Cases of immigrant crime such as the 2012 Paros rape have attracted nationwide interest.

Illegal immigration to Greece has increased rapidly over the past several years. Tough immigration policies in Spain and Italy and agreements with their neighboring African countries to combat illegal immigration have changed the direction of African immigration flows toward Greece. At the same time, flows from the Arab world and South Asia — mainly Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, and Pakistan — to Greece appear to have increased as well. [8]

The evidence now indicates that nearly all illegal immigration to the European Union flows through the country's porous borders. In 2010, 90 percent of all apprehensions for unauthorized entry into the European Union took place in Greece, compared to 75 percent in 2009 and 50 percent in 2008. [8]

In 2010, 132,524 persons were arrested for "illegal entry or stay" in Greece, a sharp increase from 95,239 in 2006. Nearly half of those arrested (52,469) were immediately deported, the majority of them being Albanians. [8]

Tax evasion and corruption

Greece suffers from relatively high levels of tax evasion and political corruption, even though in recents years there has been considerable decrease. [9] [10] This is to the extent that tax evasion has been described by Greek politicians as "a national sport" - with up to €30 billion per year going uncollected. [11]

Extent of Greek tax evasion

The OECD estimated in August 2009 that the size of the Greek black market to be around €65bn (equal to 25% of GDP), resulting each year in €20bn of unpaid taxes. [12] This is a European record in relative terms, and in comparison almost twice as big as the German black market (estimated to be 15% of GDP). [13]

Several successive Greek governments had in the past attempted to improve the situation, but all failed due to tax evasion's place within Greek culture. A rapid increase in government revenues through implementing a more effective tax collecting system has been recommended. Implementing the proper reforms, is however estimated to be a slow process, requiring at least two legislative periods before they start to work. [13]

In the last quarter of 2005, participation in tax evasion reached an estimated 49% of the population, [10] while in January 2006 it fell to 41.6%. [10] A study by researchers from the University of Chicago concluded that tax evasion in 2009 by self-employed professionals alone in Greece (accountants, dentists, lawyers, doctors, personal tutors and independent financial advisers) was €28 billion or 31% of the budget deficit that year. [9]

The Tax Justice Network has said that there are over €20 billion in Swiss bank accounts held by Greeks. [14] The former Finance Minister of Greece, Evangelos Venizelos, was quoted as saying "Around 15,000 individuals and companies owe the taxman 37 billion euros". [15] Additionally, the TJN puts the number of Greek-owned off-shore companies to over 10,000. [16]

By location

Athens

Armed robberies in Athens doubled between 2007 and 2009. [17] Thefts and break-ins jumped from 26,872 recorded cases in 2007, to 47,607 in 2009. [17] The number of murders in Athens nearly doubled between 2007 and 2009. [17]

Police politics

One of the major criticisms addressed to the Greek Police by the Greek media is the politicization of its officer corps. Up until 1981 (when Andreas Papandreou and his Panhellenic Socialist Movement party came to power), almost all senior officers of the Greek Gendarmerie and the Cities Police were inveterate right-wingers. These two agencies were merged in 1984 to create the Greek Police. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organized crime</span> Groupings of highly centralized criminal enterprises

Organized crime is a category of transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a form of illegal business, some criminal organizations, such as terrorist groups, rebel forces, and separatists, are politically motivated. Many criminal organizations rely on fear or terror to achieve their goals or aims as well as to maintain control within the organization and may adopt tactics commonly used by authoritarian regimes to maintain power. Some forms of organized crime simply exist to cater towards demand of illegal goods in a state or to facilitate trade of goods and services that may have been banned by a state. Sometimes, criminal organizations force people to do business with them, such as when a gang extorts protection money from shopkeepers. Street gangs may often be deemed organized crime groups or, under stricter definitions of organized crime, may become disciplined enough to be considered organized. A criminal organization can also be referred to as an outfit, a gang, crime family, mafia, mob, (crime) ring, or syndicate; the network, subculture, and community of criminals involved in organized crime may be referred to as the underworld or gangland. Sociologists sometimes specifically distinguish a "mafia" as a type of organized crime group that specializes in the supply of extra-legal protection and quasi-law enforcement. Academic studies of the original "Mafia", the Italian Mafia generated an economic study of organized crime groups and exerted great influence on studies of the Russian mafia, the Chinese triads, the Hong Kong triads, and the Japanese yakuza.

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Albanian mafia or Albanian organized crime are the general terms used for criminal organizations based in Albania or composed of ethnic Albanians. Albanian organized crime is active in Europe, North America, South America, and various other parts of the world including the Middle East and Asia. The Albanian Mafia participates in a diverse range of criminal enterprises including trafficking in drugs, arms, and humans. Thanks to their close ties with the 'Ndrangheta of Calabria, they control a large part of the billion dollar wholesale cocaine market in Europe and appear to be the primary distributors of cocaine in various European drug hubs including London. Albanian organized crime is characterized by diversified criminal enterprises which, in their complexity, demonstrate a very high criminal capacity. In Albania, there are over 15 mafia families that control organized crime. According to some sources, Albania is the first European narco state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immigration to Greece</span> Overview of immigration to Greece

Immigration to Greece percentage of foreign populations in Greece is 7.1% in proportion to the total population of the country. Moreover, between 9 and 11% of the registered Greek labor force of 4.4 million are foreigners. Migrants additionally make up 25% of wage and salary earners.

Unreported employment, also known as money under the table, working under the table, off the books, cash-in-the-claw, money-in-the-paw, or illicit work is illegal employment that is not reported to the government. The employer or the employee often does so for tax evasion or avoiding and violating other laws such as obtaining unemployment benefits while being employed. The working contract is made without social security costs and does typically not provide health insurance, paid parental leave, paid vacation or pension funds. It is a part of what has been called the underground economy, shadow economy, black market or the non-observed economy.

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The Israeli mafia are the organized crime groups operating in Israel or consisting of Israeli members. There are 16 crime families operating in Israel, five major groups active on the national level and 11 smaller organizations. There are six Jewish crime families active and three Arab crime families. Many heads and members of the crime groups have either been killed or are in prison.

Greece is a transit, source and destination country for women and children who are subjected to human trafficking, specifically forced prostitution and conditions of forced labor for men, women, and children. Female sex trafficking victims originate primarily in Eastern Europe and former Soviet bloc countries. Traffickers use physical, emotional, and sexual abuse for coercion. Greece's European Union membership, coupled with a shared border with Turkey, means the country sees massive flows of illegal immigrants looking to enter the EU. Traffickers also use Greece not only as a destination but also as transit stop and also as a source country where even Greek women are prostituted on the way to Western Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Germany</span> Overview of crime in Germany

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Turkish mafia is the general term for criminal organizations based in Turkey and/or composed of (former) Turkish citizens. Crime groups with origins in Turkey are active throughout Western Europe and less so in the Middle East. Turkish criminal groups participate in a wide range of criminal activities, internationally the most important being drug trafficking, especially heroin. In the trafficking of heroin they cooperate with Bulgarian mafia groups who transport the heroin further to countries such as Italy. Recently however, Turkish mafia groups have also stepped up in the cocaine trafficking world by directly participating in the massive cocaine smuggling pipeline that runs transnationally from South America to Europe. They allegedly have a lucrative partnership with the Venezuelan drug-trafficking organization known as the Cartel of the Suns who ships them cocaine along with criminal elements from Ecuador. Turkish organized crime has pushed into less traditional cocaine markets as well such as into Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and the wealthy petro-states of the Persian Gulf. Cosa Nostra and the Turkish mafia are also known to be extremely close. Criminal activities such as the trafficking of other types of drugs, illegal gambling, human trafficking, prostitution or extortion are committed in Turkey itself as well as European countries with a sizeable Turkish community such as Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Albania, and the United Kingdom.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Latvia</span> Overview of the crime in Latvia

Crime in Latvia is relatively low, by global standards, especially compared to previous years, when it was named the "crime capital of Europe" by Forbes in 2008. The homicide rate in Latvia was 4.9 per 100,000 people in 2020, a sharp drop from 10 cases per 100,000 people in 2000, and has been steadily decreasing, but has seen recent increases. The United States Department of State has assessed Latvia's security rating as "medium", with a moderate crime rate. In recent times, crime has been increasing, particularly due to many Latvians stranded because of the COVID-19 pandemic returning to Latvia and choosing to commit crime. According to Interpol, Latvia is considered an attractive place for regional and organized criminals involved in drug trafficking, arms trafficking, human trafficking, or smuggling. According to the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, a third of all women in Latvia have suffered some form of sexual violence or rape while men are subjected to violence outside the family.

References

  1. ↑ "GREEK DOMESTIC TERRORISM".
  2. 1 2 Global Study on Homicide. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2013.
  3. ↑ Data reports at the Hellenic Police website for the years 1991–2009, 2010–2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018,2019.
  4. ↑ "Organized Crime in Greece: Statistics, Trends and Police Countermeasures in 2011 - Greece". Archived from the original on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Introduction to organized crime in Greece" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 "Greek Crime Wave Spells Boom for Security Firms". Bloomberg. 17 September 2010. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  7. 1 2 "Greeks confront crime wave amid austerity", Chloe Hadjimatheou, BBC News, Athens, 16 August 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Greece: Illegal Immigration in the Midst of Crisis", Charalambos Kasimis, Agricultural University of Athens, March 2012.
  9. 1 2 Inman, Phillip (9 September 2012) Primary Greek tax evaders are the professional classes The Guardian. Retrieved 6 October 2012
  10. 1 2 3 Πτώση της φοροδιαφυγής στο 41,6% από 49% το τελευταίο εξάμηνο (in Greek). Ethnos. 2006. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  11. ↑ "A national sport no more". The Economist. 3 November 2012.
  12. ↑ "Korruption und Steuerhinterziehung: Griechenland versinkt im Sumpf". Die Presse. 5 August 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  13. 1 2 "Griechenland: Abkehr von den Fakelaki". zeit.de. 6 May 2010.
  14. ↑ "20 δισ. ευρώ έχουν κρύψει οι Έλληνες στην Ελβετία". Skai TV. 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  15. ↑ Boyes, Roger. "Rich Greeks Pack Up Their Troubles Along With Their Euros". The Times .
  16. ↑ "Article" Υπερδύναμη στις οφ σορ η Ελλάδα (in Greek). Ta Nea. 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  17. 1 2 3 Carassava, Anthee (31 May 2011). "Crime casts long shadow over Athens". Los Angeles Times.
  18. ↑ "Police Reform and Social Change in Greece: the Development and Merger of the Gendarmerie and Urban Police Forces" (PDF).
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