Greek police dealt a major blow to a criminal network involved in forging and trafficking documents and facilitating the stay of undocumented migrants in “safe houses” in the Athens area, authorities said.
The network was dismantled following coordinated police operations carried out on March 22 and 23, 2026, by the Athens Sub-Directorate for Combating and Solving Crimes. Three alleged ringleaders were arrested during the raids.
According to police, the suspects are two migrants aged 50 and 52, and a 51-year-old foreign national. They face charges including forming and participating in a criminal organization, document forgery, forgery of certificates, violations of immigration laws and the migration and social integration code, facilitating illegal entry and exit from Greece for profit, and possession of travel documents.
Six additional migrants, aged 19, 31, 34, 35, 50 and 53, were also arrested on charges of illegal residence in Greece.
Greek police said the three main suspects had formed the criminal group at least since September 2025, aiming to facilitate the illegal transport of undocumented migrants and to produce and distribute forged documents.
Searches of the suspects and three identified safe houses led to the seizure of, among other items, 13 asylum seeker cards, four passports issued by foreign authorities, 35 stamps, four residence permits, a computer central processing unit, three hard drives, $1,762, 2,500 euros, and numerous handwritten notes.
Six undocumented foreign nationals were found inside one of the safe houses. Police also seized two vehicles believed to have been used in the group’s activities. Those arrested were brought before the competent prosecutor, police said.
