Prison sentences of up to 244 years (20 years suspended), as well as fines of up to 4.5 million euros, were handed down by the three-member Criminal Appeal Court of Thessaloniki to members of a ring that illegally trafficked refugees and migrants. Evros to the mainland.
The criminal activity of the multi-member ring was revealed last June by police officers of the Aliens Immigration Management Department of the Directorate of Aliens in Thessaloniki.
15 people were nominated to the bench of the Tripartite Court of Appeal, among them an Iraqi who played a key role in the operation of the smuggling gang and was sentenced to the highest sentence – 244 years in prison and a fine of 4,540,000. Euros.
Of all the defendants, the jury found seven guilty and acquitted the remaining eight.
“Heavy hour” for two Greeks who took part in the circumnavigation
Among the defendants was a Greek, who had an “inciting” role and was sentenced to 145 years in prison and an additional 950,000 euros in fines, as well as the Greek owner of a paddock in Katerini, where the ring was stopped. Vehicles used to carry out illegal transfers.
The accused plantation owner was sentenced to a total of 78 years in prison and fined 260,000 euros. Convicted members of the ring included the drivers, while a woman who had a peripheral role received a much shorter sentence (36 years in prison and a fine of 190,000 euros).
All those convicted were sent back to prison, with sentences (the amount determined by the number of traffickers) limited to 20 years.
According to the judge’s conclusion, the ring carried out at least six illegal routes over a three-month period, transporting a total of 47 refugees and migrants, each of whom paid between 2,000 and 4,000 euros to be transported from Evros to the mainland.
The criminal organization is characterized by a large number of cars, some of which are stolen or imported, while its members use fake license plates to make it difficult for prosecuting authorities to track them down.
Source: RES-MPE