Greek customs authorities seized everything from narcotics and illegal medicines to exotic parrots, weapons and cultural heritage artifacts during inspections carried out across the country in the first half of 2026, according to the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE).
The inspections, conducted at airports, ports and land border crossings between January and June 2026, were supported by X-ray screening systems and specially trained detector dogs. The operations focused on combating the illegal movement of cash, drugs and counterfeit products, as well as the smuggling of tobacco, alcohol and energy products.
According to AADE, customs officers confiscated:
- €2,065,416.91 in cash, along with U.S. dollars, British pounds, Turkish lira and several other foreign currencies, a Romanian bank check, 60 gold coins and six gold bars weighing a combined 190 grams.
- More than 4.12 million cigarettes, 70 kilograms of tobacco, 3,346 cigars and 29,340 heated tobacco sticks.
- 347 liters of illegal alcoholic beverages.
- 2,768 smuggled items, including medicines, dietary supplements, medical and dental products, mobile phones, clothing, perfumes, industrial equipment, metal detectors, cultural heritage objects, pets and exotic birds.
- 31,013 counterfeit products, including clothing, footwear, watches, handbags, sunglasses and printer toner cartridges.
- 129 kilograms of khat, 25 kilograms of cannabis and 574 grams of THC.
- 528 illegal weapons.
Undeclared Cash Discovered Across Border Crossings
Customs officers intercepted large sums of undeclared cash at Athens International Airport, Thessaloniki Airport and multiple land border crossings, including Evzones, Kipi, Kakavia, Kastanies and Mytilene.
Detector dogs assisted in identifying undeclared currency arriving on flights from destinations including Istanbul, Doha, Addis Ababa, Tirana, New York and Beirut.
Smuggling Cases Included Rare Fossil and Exotic Parrots
Among the more unusual seizures, customs officers at Mytilene Airport confiscated part of a fossilized tree trunk from the protected Lesvos Petrified Forest, a UNESCO Global Geopark and protected Natura 2000 site. The fossil, valued at more than €7,000, was being transported by a foreign passenger and will be returned to the Museum of Natural History of the Lesvos Petrified Forest.
At the Kipi border crossing, officers also seized two red macaw parrots, along with illegal medicines, pesticides, gold jewelry, clothing, perfumes and industrial equipment.
Elsewhere, customs officials uncovered the illegal transport of dogs, confiscated hundreds of unauthorized mobile phones, illegal pharmaceuticals and counterfeit branded merchandise.
Drugs, Tobacco and Weapons Seized
At Athens International Airport, detector dogs helped uncover large quantities of khat, cannabis and THC hidden in passenger luggage and commercial shipments. Several arrests were made following the discoveries.
Authorities also confiscated millions of smuggled cigarettes and tobacco products at airports and border crossings, while additional inspections uncovered illegal alcohol shipments concealed in passenger vehicles and buses.
Weapons seizures included air rifles, knives, daggers, batons and other prohibited items, primarily at border crossings and ports receiving travelers from Turkey. Suspects were arrested and referred to prosecutors under Greece’s weapons legislation.
Technology and Detector Dogs Key to Operations
AADE said the results demonstrate the operational readiness of Greece’s customs services and highlight the role of modern screening technology and specially trained detector dogs in combating smuggling and other cross-border crimes.
