Over 30 arrested in major police crackdown on fuel smuggling

More than 30 members of two criminal organizations involved in fuel smuggling were arrested on Tuesday in a large-scale police operation led by the directorate for combating organized crime in Athens, Thessaloniki, and other major cities.

Among those detained is a relative of an individual previously accused by authorities of links to the so-called Greek Mafia, who was murdered in January 2024 in the Neos Kosmos district of Athens.

Beyond fuel smuggling, the two criminal networks are suspected of installing tampering devices on fuel pumps to manipulate measurements, enabling them to generate illicit profits by defrauding consumers.

As part of the operation, authorities have inspected fuel stations and storage facilities in Athens, Thessaloniki, Alexandroupoli, and Larissa. According to sources, more than €100,000 has been seized.

Kathimerini