The European Commission for Home Affairs released a study that found the European Union loses at least $162 Billion (€120 Billion) to corruption each year. More than 75 percent of citizens in EU member states believe that corruption is widespread in their country. More than half also stated that they felt corruption was increasing in… Continue reading Corruption in Europe
Tag: Greece Security Threats
Human Trafficking in Greece
Criminal justice officials in Greece stated that in a recent child trafficking case, a Roma woman from Bulgaria gave birth in a public hospital in Greece. The woman was accompanied by a human trafficker who pretended to be her relative. After the birth, the trafficker paid the woman $4,100 (€3,000) for the child and took… Continue reading Human Trafficking in Greece
Illegal Casinos in Greece
In 2012, criminal justice agencies in Greece conducted raids against 1,000 establishments that were operating illegal casinos. The raids resulted in nearly 11,000 casino machines being seized and around 5,000 people for illegal gambling activities. In the first 5 months of 2013, police closed down 363 illegal casinos in Greece. The raids in the first… Continue reading Illegal Casinos in Greece
Tax Revenue Losses to Cigarette Smuggling in Greece in 2012
According to a survey by the Center of Planning and Economic Research, the government of Greece is lost up to $780.5 Million (€600 Million) in tax revenue in 2011 to 2012 due to cigarette smuggling activities. The Finance Ministry stated that there was a drop of 11 percent in tobacco revenue between 2011 and 2012.… Continue reading Tax Revenue Losses to Cigarette Smuggling in Greece in 2012
Illegal Gambling in Greece
An investigation conducted by the Committee of Institutions and Transparency of the Greece Parliament found that the annual turnover in illegal gambling in the country is $7.7 Billion (€6 Billion). Out of that total, $1.29 Billion (€1 Billion) of betting is on the Internet. Source: Maria Arkouli, “Six Billion Annual Loss From Illegal Betting,” Greek… Continue reading Illegal Gambling in Greece
Number of Drug Addicts in Greece
The Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there were over 250,000 drug addicts in Greece at the start of 2013. Over 10,000 of the drug addicts inject themselves with the use of needles. The rise of injecting drug users (IDU) in Greece has caused the rate of HIV infections to rise, according… Continue reading Number of Drug Addicts in Greece
Human Smuggling Fee from Iran to the EU
An international human smuggling ring was broken up by Europol in November 2012 that was smuggling people from Iran in to various countries of the European Union.
Tax Debts and Collection in Greece
In the summer of 2011, the taxes owned to the Government of Greece totaled $58 Billion (45 Billion Euros). As of October 2012, the government has collected just $24 Million (19 Million Euros) in tax revenue.
Sale of Smuggled Cigarettes in Greece
In 2010 and 2011, an estimated $4.4 Billion (3.5 Billion Euros) worth of smuggled cigarettes were sold in Greece, according to the Associated of Hellenic Tobacco Industries. The sale of black market cigarettes represented about 15 percent of the total cigarette market in Greece.
Loan Shark Racket in Greece
Between $6.2 Billion to $12.5 Billion (5 to 10 Billion Euros) is illegally lent to consumers in Greece each year by loan sharks. The loan shark industry quadrupled in size between 2009 and 2012, with some lenders charging customers annualized interest rates starting at 60 percent. The Ministry of Finance in Greece stated that most… Continue reading Loan Shark Racket in Greece