Finally, in the spiral action that made the loan sharking and extortion profession in Thessaloniki The Greek police put in. Already by the Division for the Prevention of Organized Crime in Northern Greece four of the five members of the organization have been arrested, and among the arrested are one leader, with the authorities looking for the other chief member.
According to the Communication from the Hellenic Police Headquarters, the investigation of the case began following a complaint, from which it emerged that the members of the organization were providing money in loan terms and in cases of inability to repay were committed to blackmail and threatening actions, requiring excessive amounts of money from their victims.
A long and thorough investigation of police officers from the Department of Economic Crimes was followed, from which it was established that members of the organization, at least since June 2022 had formed a structured group with ongoing action and designated roles, with a view to systematic execution of interest-developing acts and the deduction of illegal economic benefits, according to police authorities.
How the spiral acted and how it laundered the money it made
As stated in its communication, the defendants provided interest-free amounts, with interest rates exceeding the legal limit, while in cases of failure to pay the debtors they unilaterally extended the repayment deadlines, imposing additional interest and exerting heavy pressure on debtors, taking advantage of their financial need, in order to obtain unlawful financial benefits disproportionate to the initially granted capital.
At the same time, it was found that the members of the organization were taking action that demonstrated an effort to legalise the proceeds obtained from their criminal activity. In particular, they carried out transfers of funds between personal bank accounts, as well as deposits, with a view to decoupling the money from their original illegal origin and hindering their detection, seeking to give them an image of legal certainty.
They also acquired movable property, mainly vehicles, without sufficient justification for the source of funding, based on their declared income, tax data and available banking data. In addition, they used online betting platforms, seeking the emergence of illegal money as winnings from gambling, while maintaining legitimate businesses through which they blended illegal revenue with legal income, transferring money to their respective corporate accounts, in order to integrate them into legal economic activity and cover business obligations.
The roles of the members of the spiral
The members of the organization had distinct roles, as follows:
- 31-year-old, who is being sought, was one of the two chief members of the organization, coordinating the allocation of funds, which were granted on loan terms, as well as the procedure for collecting the required funds from the victims,
- 34-year-old, who was also a chief member of the organisation, involved in decision-making on the management of claims, the extension of repayment deadlines and the collection of the amounts due;
- 33-year-old, a member of the criminal organisation, who participated in the loan-launching activity, obtaining financial benefit from its illegal activity;
- 30-year-old, had the role of ombudsman between the organisation and the victims, assuming the delivery of the funds, the collection of debts and their performance to the rest of the members, maintaining some of the illegal revenue, and was found to have also carried out individual interest relief operations; and
- 25-year-old, a member of the organization, who, having full knowledge of her criminal activity, helped her act by participating in receiving funds on behalf of the organisation, while also intervening in finding interested persons for the provision of money on loan terms.
How they were arrested
In order to end the action of the criminal organisation, following proper utilization of the collected data, a police operation was organized on Tuesday 14 July 2026, in which the delivery of a marked amount of money of -20,000-euro was carried out, which, on the basis of an agreement between those involved, was intended to repay a outstanding debt. During the development of the operation, the 30-year-old received the marked amount of money and was then immobilised by the police. A physical investigation followed in which the indicated amount was seized.
Investigations were followed in houses, vehicles, as well as physical investigations, in which, among other things, they were found and seized:
- –J.E.A. car, as a proceeds of money laundering from criminal activities,
- -21– cell phones,
- number of SIM cards,
- -4- evidence of bank deposit,
- -2-sale tariffs;
- gambling card,
- a portable computer,
- tablet,
- -2-professional banknote counters;
- check sheet,
- -3- receipts from a gambling game, with corresponding profit payment receipts, total value -8.875.29-EUR,
- handwritten notes,
- -167- tablets and -81- injectable vials of anabolic preparations,
- -2-gold pounds and
- the amount of -37,280-EUR.
At the expense of the four arrested, a case-file was drawn up for – where applicable – the establishment, integration and direction of a criminal organisation, professionally blackmailing and usurying, preventing and combating money laundering from criminal activities, violating legislation on amateur and professional sport, harmful drugs and violating pharmaceutical legislation.
Arrested persons were taken to the competent prosecutor.
