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A criminal organization that dismantled medical masks of dubious origin and quality and counterfeit products of brand companies (clothing, bags, shoes, sunglasses) was dismantled.
Members of the organization managed to trick a company, from which they extracted more than 200,000 medical masks, most of which were found and returned to the company.
A total of more than 1,100,000 medical masks and 53,000 counterfeit products and authenticity labels were seized.
Investigations into the disclosure of the criminal organization dissolved by the Athens Security Branch and the Kallithea Security Department of the Attica Security Directorate began as a result of the company’s fraud, from which 201,900 medical masks were recovered.
How they got to the footprints of the spiral
In particular, according to official information from the Hellenic Police, on April 22, 2020, a member of the organization reached a commercial agreement, through third parties, with a company to buy 201,900 medical masks, worth 620,640.60 euros. . The products were normally delivered the next day, without paying the agreed amount.
Two days later, the truck in which the products were collected and the driver was arrested was located in an area of Attica, in whose house, among other things, a small number of medical masks were found and confiscated, a product of the previous fraud.
Then on May 4, a truck was found leaving a storage area in the Aspropyrgos area, and in a subsequent search, 23,750 medical masks were found inside, stemming from previous fraud against the company.
Two members of the criminal organization were in the vehicle, who were arrested. An investigation followed, in the presence of a court official, in the storage area, from where the truck left, where 170,670 medical masks were found, stemming from the previous fraud against the company.
In total, of the 210,900 medical masks that managed to extract with the previous deception method, 194,420 were found, which were attributed to the company.
They hid the goods in houses and warehouses.
In the third phase of the investigations, yesterday 05-12-2020, 8 searches were carried out in homes and warehouses: stores, members of the organization, in the areas of Agia Varvara, Alimos, Korydallos and Egaleo.
According to the police investigation, members of the criminal organization specialized in the illegal distribution of medical supplies (masks), as well as counterfeit products from brand-name companies.
In fact, they operated systematically and were responsible for giving legitimacy to all stages of their criminal activity, from which they obtained significant financial benefits.
It should be noted that they manufactured invoices and other documents, which legitimized the transfer of medical masks, while to hide their origin and deceive potential buyers, they reprinted them in new transport boxes.
In addition to the main members, who had the overall coordination of the organization’s operation, the other members performed individually, in the cases, (standardization – storage and transportation of products, transport pioneers, police locksmiths, etc.).
A total of searches were found and confiscated:
– 1,110,423 medical masks,
– 5,245 euros, 2 trucks and 3 cars. vehicles,
– more than 50,000 obviously counterfeit labels of various brand companies (clothing-footwear),
– more than 3,000 items of clothing, footwear, watches, sunglasses, all imitations of brand companies,
– tablets of anabolic preparations and a small amount of cannabis,
– pistol and 3 complete closed image recording circuits.
It should be noted that, in addition to the medical masks derived from the fraud against the company, all the others did not bring customs documents and their origin is being investigated, in collaboration with the co-responsible services.
The resale value of the masks, including masks that come from the company, exceeds 1,000,000 euros.
For their participation in the case, 8 members of the organization were arrested, against whom a case was presented against a criminal organization, fraud, counterfeiting, money laundering, arms laws, trademarks, unfair competition, national customs code, etc. 4 more people are involved in the case.
