The Greek Police has uncovered a criminal organization that, according to the authorities, was involved in trafficking of foreign women for the purpose of sexual and financial exploitation through an escort “agency.”

During a coordinated operation carried out on June 17 and 18 in Athens, three members of the ring, including the alleged ringleader, as well as one other woman. The operation involved officers from the Sub-Directorate for Combating Trafficking in Persons and Goods, with the assistance of the Sub-Directorate for Intelligence and Special Operations, as well as the organizations OUR RESCUE and A21.

The suspects include a 26-year-old Greek man, two foreign nationals aged 27 and 19, and a 31-year-old foreign woman. Charges have been filed against them for criminal organization, human trafficking, pimping, and violations of drug laws, as applicable.

The 112 call that exposed their activities

The case began to unfold following a complaint from a woman who was allegedly a victim of human trafficking. She called 112 while standing outside an apartment building in an Athens neighborhood.

Officers from the Rapid Response Unit located her and transported her to the Kallithea Crime Investigation and Prosecution Department, where initial indications of human trafficking emerged.

The investigation by the Department for Combating Human Trafficking and Smuggling was conducted with the support of the Internal Security Service of the United States (H.S.I.).

They recruited women with false promises

According to the investigation’s findings, the 27-year-old, the 26-year-old, and the 19-year-old had formed an organized network that was constantly active. Their goal was to target women from Latin American countries who were in a vulnerable position.

Using false promises and deceptive methods, they allegedly secured the women’s consent to travel to Greece, where they were then forced into prostitution.

The women were pressured to pay off alleged debts attributed to them under various pretexts. At the same time, drug use was presented as a means of control and dependence, while the drugs themselves were distributed by members of the organization.

The role of the ringleader

The police investigation revealed that the 26-year-old played a leading role. He allegedly set the women’s fees, monitored their earnings, and demanded constant updates on their movements and activities.

At the same time, he was responsible for coordinating their travel to sexual encounters at hotels and residences in the Attica region.

The promotion of the women and the scheduling of the meetings were carried out in collaboration with a dating “agency” that operated through a website.

The 19-year-old is alleged to have been responsible for locating young women abroad, while also keeping track of their travel documents and monitoring their movements. The other members were involved in transporting and monitoring the victims.

Parallel drug trafficking operation

The investigation also uncovered a second criminal activity, with the same individuals involved in the production, storage, transport, and trafficking of narcotics.

According to the findings, the group handled substances such as MDMA, crystalline methamphetamine, ecstasy, and ketamine, which it even distributed to sex workers.

The substances were stored in the residence where the 26-year-old man and the 31-year-old woman lived; the woman is alleged to have been responsible for safeguarding them.

What was found during the searches

During searches of homes and premises linked to the defendants, the following items were seized:

  • 174 grams of MDMA in crystalline form
  • liquid ketamine
  • 25 grams of suspected “pink cocaine”
  • 13 ecstasy tablets
  • psilocybin mushrooms
  • 208 grams of crystal meth
  • quantities of cannabis
  • drug adulteration and packaging equipment
  • precision scales
  • various packaging items
  • metal brass knuckles
  • car and motorcycle
  • third-party documents
  • documents related to money transfers abroad
  • handwritten notes
  • full-face hood
  • cell phones and computers
  • 3,315 euros in cash

Three women under protection

As part of the operation, the authorities provided protection and support to three foreign women, who were located and removed from premises used by the accused.

The four arrested individuals were taken to the competent prosecutor’s office.