“When we pledged in 2023 to ensure legality everywhere, we knew that the road would not be easy, that we would have to take on entrenched practices and deeply rooted attitudes of impunity. We also knew that we would have to organise ourselves well and quickly, as lawbreaking too is, unfortunately, evolving at great speed. That pledge, however, has never ceased to be the foundation of the contract we signed with the public. And so the slogan ‘legality everywhere’ became a daily battle on every front,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at an event marking two years since the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime began operating, held at the Athens Concert Hall.
“In neighbourhoods, so that families can feel safe. On the roads, with cameras, the new highway code and breathalyser tests saving lives. At sports grounds, with measures to combat violence and electronic tickets, and, let us not forget, at universities, where hideouts and occupations are now a thing of the past. A battle that gradually spread to the coast and beaches, where free access was restored with the help of apps and even drones. And a battle that naturally extended to the market, where modern digital tools are now effectively combating tax evasion.
And, of course, to the management of public money. Perhaps the most significant example is the clean-up of OPEKEPE and the transfer of its operations to the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), along with the creation of a new, fair and transparent system for paying agricultural subsidies,” he added.
“Our goal was and remains the same: to fully restore the rule of law in the face of arbitrariness,” the prime minister said.
He went on to say that the choice to pursue this course was vindicated by the truly impressive results achieved by this specialist unit. “We set it up with a very difficult mission: to identify, infiltrate and ultimately dismantle criminal syndicates — organisations engaged in serious lawbreaking that may consider themselves above the laws of the state,” he said.
He then referred to the figures presented, stressing: “More than 1,500 cases and more than 260 serious criminal gangs of all kinds, from illegal fuel-trafficking rings that were effectively stealing from unsuspecting customers at the pump, and cigarette-smuggling operations, to cross-border crime and networks preying on tax offices, planning departments and prisons.
“These are very significant successes in a relatively short period, demonstrating operational capability, professionalism and an absolute commitment to duty. Above all, however, they are successes that leave a strong mark on society. They have a direct impact on people’s everyday lives. Every threat that is neutralised ultimately means a better life for everyone. That is why I believe it is so important that this service focuses on the big players in lawlessness and abuse of power.”
The prime minister also said that those asking why these revelations were emerging now were being hypocritical.
“On the other hand, I would go so far as to say that those who wonder how and why all these sweeping revelations have come to light recently are being hypocritical. Let me answer: the news is not that lawbreaking exists. Unfortunately, it existed in the past, exists now and will exist in every society. The news is that it is finally being exposed and prosecuted in an organised way. That is certainly the work of the government, but first and foremost it is your work,” he said.
“Let me remind you that in the past we had neither specialised law-enforcement agencies nor digital tools, nor, above all, co-operation across government services. We went through periods when laws passed by other governments released prisoners en masse. We went through periods when criminal codes were amended to make them more lenient just before elections were called. None of this can be hidden behind rebranding or various naïve comments that more or less suggest crime did not exist in the past, as though we had all been living in a society of angels. The opposite is true. We put forward a series of provisions to toughen sentences by amending the criminal code. Last June, we closed loopholes that could allow those under investigation to be tipped off in advance about inspections. And so enforcement action now comes first, preventing any attempt to cover up offences, allow the guilty to flee or destroy evidence,” he added.
“Unfortunately, all these important legislative initiatives were passed only by the government majority. So we are no longer all the same, and this is something that is recognised internationally too,” the prime minister said.
“The message is that Greece is changing in the fight against serious lawbreaking, with the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime at the forefront,” he said.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis also stressed that law-enforcement authorities and prosecutors now work together in a way that is unprecedented in Greece. “Police investigations, tax cross-checks — with the Independent Authority for Public Revenue playing a crucial role — and judicial assistance now operate as a single centre against organised crime, closing any gaps that may allow lawlessness and impunity. As I have said, this is now evident across the board: from the swift investigation of tragic incidents, such as the explosion in Plaka, to crimes uncovered after investigations lasting many months — the basketball cases, Pizza Fan, ‘Choriatiko’, and the tragic case of an NGO that was effectively making money on the backs of distressed families. All these are crimes involving substantial sums,” he said.
“I also want to stress that tackling tax evasion has secured more than €2bn for 2025 alone, and potentially an even larger amount for 2026. This is a major national success, primarily due to the Independent Authority for Public Revenue.
The VAT gap — the difference between the VAT the country should collect and what it actually collects — fell from 24% to 9.5%. We have now come close to the European average. When we declared war on tax evasion, describing it as a form of ‘activity’ with a deeply antisocial impact, many were quick to mock us. Many said it could not be done in Greece. Yet it became a reality through linking point-of-sale terminals to cash registers, electronic transactions, digital invoices, intelligent cross-checks that artificial intelligence now allows us to carry out, targeted inspections and methodical investigations. All this, ladies and gentlemen, generates funds that can be returned to society, ultimately help finance surpluses and allow us, within the limits of what is possible, to support people facing imported price rises,” the prime minister said.
In closing, the prime minister stressed that “legality everywhere is a multi-layered policy choice by the state to take on every kind of parasite, as well as its own — the state’s own failings, as recent investigations into planning departments have shown. So let me be clear: any public servants found to be lending support to criminal networks have no place in the administration. They will be brought to justice and removed from office. No criminal network is more powerful than a determined state.”
“And there is not the slightest room for tolerance towards anyone seeking to impose their own illegal authority. I know this is a long campaign, a complex one, and a persistent one. But, Minister, it has begun, and there is no turning back. On the contrary, it is gathering ever greater momentum from major successes such as those of the Greek FBI,” the prime minister added, congratulating the women and men of the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime on their selflessness, professionalism and courage.
SOURCE: AMNA