Heavy-duty criminals allegedly shielded by rogue prison officers, inmates said to be armed behind bars, and deterrent measures left unused “so as not to upset the balance.”
That is the picture emerging from a complaint filed on January 9, 2026, with Greece’s diplomatic mission in Germany by a close relative of a detainee held at Korydallos Prison, Greece’s largest correctional facility.
According to her report, her relative—imprisoned in Wing E—has received death threats from an inmate “of Asian origin.”
The accused inmate, she claimed, has a firearm inside the prison, which he allegedly shows off in videos posted online, while also trafficking drugs and possessing multiple illegal mobile phones. At the same time, the same criminal is said to boast that he is protected by prison officers. The woman added that he has also threatened her personally from his cell—despite the fact that she lives in Germany.
The email briefing to Greek diplomats—revealed by TO BHMA—is being described as emblematic of what is unfolding inside Greece’s prison system.
After a killing in Domokos, the spotlight returns
The state of Greek prisons has returned to the forefront following the cold-blooded killing of a 43-year-old inmate at Domokos Prison, a case authorities attribute to a suspected “contract killing.”
A 50-year-old chief guard at the facility is accused in connection with the alleged “death contract.” The case is especially jarring because the same man had previously been responsible for training prison officers nationwide on “prison security” issues.
Investigators say the 50-year-old allegedly coordinated with two foreign inmates to stage an “incident” involving a Greek detainee—so that the murder, carried out with a weapon that reportedly entered the prison with striking ease, could be presented as the result of a quarrel, a threat, and an alleged attempt to disarm someone.
Authorities are examining whether the killing was ordered by criminals operating on Ionian Sea islands, who allegedly found willing accomplices inside the prison.
Domokos, Korydallos, Malandrino: a pattern?
In parallel, the Hellenic Police (EL.AS.) is attempting to link the Domokos case to two similar attacks in recent weeks at Korydallos and Malandrino, which left one inmate dead and another injured.
Questions about coordination inside—and outside—prisons are multiplying. A telling example is the killing of an Albanian inmate at Korydallos on January 19, 2026.
As the report notes, there had been a series of written warnings that his assassination was being planned, which is why he had been moved to an isolated area of the facility. Yet, according to a document seen by TO BHMA, the inmate was transferred back to the wing where he was ultimately killed following a “verbal order on February 22, 2025” by an official linked to Katechaki Avenue—a reference widely understood in Greece as shorthand for police headquarters.
The official contacted by the paper said the (fatal) transfer took place by decision of a competent committee, without clarifying why a different account appears in the relevant electronic record.
Overcrowding and near-total lawlessness
It is now being observed that in many Greek prisons—where overcrowding is said to reach 120%—conditions resemble near-total impunity.
This, the report argues, is reflected in two parallel realities:
- Thousands of illegal items, including weapons, reportedly make their way inside following suspect transactions between prison staff and inmates.
- “Death orders” are allegedly issued for payment from within prisons—while in other cases orders originate outside and are carried out inside, in the context of organized-crime vendettas.
Four mafias, at least 500 members
As a result, multiple prisons are turning into conflict zones, with new alliances forming among at least 500 members of Greek, Albanian, Russian and Turkish mafia networks.
Depending on the case, their goals include securing larger shares of illegal markets involving:
- drug trafficking
- “protection” rackets
- cigarette smuggling
- other illicit activity
The report also describes cases in which criminals allegedly commit murders with ease and then try to mislead authorities through false testimonies—or even “confessions” in the name of other criminals, including gang leaders.
The numbers behind the strain
The data cited paints a stark picture:
- 13,600 people are currently held in Greek prisons
- Official capacity is 10,763
- In some facilities—such as Komotini and Tripoli—occupancy reportedly exceeds 210%
Of the prison population, an estimated:
- 14% are linked to drug cases
- 15% are migrant smugglers
Overcrowding is attributed to tougher rules on pre-trial detention for thefts, burglaries and fraud (especially repeat offenders), as well as changes making conditional release more difficult. Pre-trial detention has also increased for domestic violence, traffic offences and other cases.
Phones for €1,500—and drones over Korydallos
At the same time, in several prisons staffed by roughly 4,000 guards, suspect transactions are reported for smuggling mobile phones, drugs and other contraband.
The alleged “price list” includes:
- over €1,500 for a mobile phone
- sharply inflated prices for narcotics
In many cases—especially at Korydallos—items are reportedly delivered by drones.
Police sources say inmates use illegal phones to recruit new members—criminals with limited previous activity—and to organize new crimes.
Criminals holding video calls from prison
The report adds that inmates also use messaging apps and social media to carry out illegal actions—and even hold video conferences with accomplices via platforms such as Facebook.
In a survey of 2,500 inmates:
- about 71% said they had used illegal substances at some point
- 49% reported use inside prisons
- 5% said they began using while incarcerated
The “Greek FBI”—a common reference to Greece’s organized-crime police unit—carried out at least 26 searches in prisons in 2025 and five more in early 2026 (at Korydallos, Trikala, Malandrino, and, 20 days earlier, Domokos—specifically in the cell of the murdered inmate).
The report notes that on May 5, 2024, April 5, 2025, and October 27, 2025, weapons and ammunition were found in Wings D, E and F at Korydallos.
Following the complaint made to Greece’s diplomatic mission in Germany, EL.AS. reportedly carried out an immediate operation in the suspect’s cell—but found nothing.
Corruption networks—and “targeting” inmates on leave
In recent years, at least 7–8 rings of prison employees have been uncovered (including in Korydallos, Patras, Corinth, Domokos, Crete and elsewhere), accused of smuggling phones and drugs.
Investigations have also examined suspect dealings involving prisoner transfers and early releases.
There have additionally been informal allegations that prison officers, in exchange for payment, inform criminals where other inmates stay during short prison leaves—so they can be “targeted” by rival gangs.
The report further claims some prison officials provide “facilities” to life-sentenced inmates, granting freedom of movement or turning a blind eye to offences.
When security measures become the flashpoint
Officials overseeing prison policy are attempting to install anti-drone systems, drug detection tools and mobile-phone jammers. But prison officers have reported malfunctions and “misuse” of drone-detection systems—especially at Korydallos.
At the same time, there are objections to deploying phone-jamming systems, with the argument that doing so would “disrupt the balance” inside prisons.
One example cited: at a regional prison where a mobile-signal disruption system was introduced, attacks were carried out against a prison officer believed to be responsible for its operation.
