ATHENS – A prosecutor in Alexandroupolis, NE Greece, initiated criminal proceedings on Tuesday against fiver border policemen at Didymoticho for crimes related to helping traffickers smuggle migrants into Greece.

The five policemen are all being prosecuted on crimes related to facilitating the entry of third-country nationals to Greece without control; directing, convening, and participating in a criminal organization; bribing an employee; abuse of power; transferring from abroad third-country nationals who have no right of entry to Greece; and violation of police confidentiality.

Only one man was charged with directing a criminal ring. This man acted as the group’s head and directed others, after communicating with four foreigners included in the case file as residents of Turkey. The latter notified the Greek policemen of when migrants had arrived at the borders of Greece and Turkiye.

The five Greeks denied the charges but are being detained on prosecutor’s orders and will begin testifying in Orestiada as of Friday (June 2). The Hellenic Police Headquarters will also produce a report on suspending them from their jobs.

Initiating the case was an anonymous accusation that was followed by others, also anonymous.

Police started investigating in October 2022 and after January 2023 were able to record conversations the suspects held with human traffickers. There is no evidence so far of the amount of payments were, but the accused policemen’s homes were searched and money in euros and other currencies confiscated.