[ALBSA-Info] "Mafia" news

[Agron Alibali]

[02] THE ITALIAN MAFIA IS SPREADING  TO GREECE
Macedonian Press Agency

  Athens, 20 July 2000 (16:01 UTC+2) 

 The Italian Mafia is spreading to Greece and the
first indications of this have appeared in the western
part of the country which is  closest to the Ionian
Sea coasts. The sectors of its activities are
 for the time being, the illegal trade of cigarettes,
weapons and drugs. 

                                  The very alarming
facts on the Sicilian Mafia presence in Greece
                                  are included in the
1999 annual report on the organized crime in
                                  Greece recently
drawn-up by the public order ministry to be
                                  submitted to the
European Union. 

                                  According to the
report, that is being published by the Athens
                                  newspaper "TA NEA",
it is the first time that the Italian Mafia
                                  has turned its
attention toward Greece after appearing in
                                  Albania, Montenegro
and FYROM. 

  The mobilization of the Greek and Italian police
authorities
confirmed the presence of the Italian Mafia in Greece.
Its "star-pupils", the Albanians, who had made the
"market research" in Greece on behalf of the Italian
crime organization had conducted speedy operations
infiltrating the sea and land borders in northwest
Greece. In 1999 it was established that the
Italian Mafia had been involved in the illegal
trafficking of cigarettes to southern Italy, Albania,
Montenegro and western  Greece and it was decided that
a closer cooperation of the
                                  Greek and Italian
police was necessary. This cooperation led to
                                  the arrest of
leading Mafia members. According to the Greek
                                  police, large
warehouses with illegal cigarettes and not only in
                                  Albania but in
Greece as well. As an example it is mentioned that
                                  in just one
abandoned building in the north-western Greek city
                                  of Edessa were found
and confiscated 169.500 packs of
                                  cigarettes and the
escaped duties not paid to the state are
                                  estimated at 450
million drachmas. 

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get Yahoo! Mail – Free email you can access from anywhere!
http://mail.yahoo.com/