Greek police have arrested a 61-year-old foreign national suspected of producing forged passports and identity documents for a migrant-smuggling network operating between Turkey, Iraq, North Macedonia and the European Union.
The suspect was arrested on Thursday during a raid on a workshop in Aigaleo, western Athens, where officers allegedly discovered an operation producing counterfeit identity papers.
According to a police statement, the man is suspected of playing a key role in a criminal network that facilitated the movement of migrants towards Europe using forged documents.
Investigators allege the network brought people from Turkey and Iraq into the European Union through North Macedonia. Some migrants were then smuggled across the border into Greece, where they received counterfeit documents intended to help them travel onwards to other European countries. Others allegedly received forged papers while still in North Macedonia.
Police said the workshop produced high-quality counterfeit documents, including visa stickers used for travel within the Schengen Area, which allows passport-free movement between participating European countries.
The suspect allegedly charged up to €900 for each forged document, while the wider smuggling network reportedly earned an estimated €8,000 for every migrant transported to Europe.
The 61-year-old faces charges including forgery and violations of immigration legislation.
The investigation highlights the role of forged identity documents in facilitating migrant-smuggling operations across the region. Further details about the evidence seized during the raid and any additional arrests were not provided in the initial police statement.
Source: eKathimerini
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Bill Giannopoulos
Junior Editor
Bill Giannopoulos is a Junior Editor at Greek City Times, covering Greek and international news, sport, and history.