The increasing number of corruption cases and organized crime incidents prompted Greece’s Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis to announce more stringent measures this week.
“A very serious effort has begun in order to soon identify criminal acts, make arrests, and bring individuals to justice,” said Chrysochoidis, after announcing the arrests of criminal gang members operating on Mykonos.
The news comes after the hitman murder in Athens (Neo Psychiko district) last week of 54-year-old surveyor Panagiotis Stathis.
A 44-year-old suspect believed to be behind the crime and with connections to organized crime rings on Mykonos, was arrested on Thursday.
In an interview to SKAI, Chrysochoidis said last week’s murder was only the “tip of the iceberg”.
“We are determined to put an end to this,” he said. “All these incidents on Mykonos and other islands, such as Zakynthos, create enormous problems not only for the residents but also for tourists and law abiding entrepreneurs.”
Earlier this week, a Supreme Court prosecutor requested the launch of an investigation into the so-called “Mykonos Mafia”.
“Criminal activity is not limited to the island of Mykonos but seems to extend to other Cyclades islands, even to Athens and Thessaloniki,” said Supreme Court Prosecutor Georgia Adelini.
Earlier this week 14 people, including employees at the Athens Municipality, the Attica Region, and the Culture Ministry were charged with seven felonies in an extortion case involving a “protection” racket preying mostly on the owners of F&B establishments in popular parts of the Greek capital.
