Mitsotakis: Over 260 criminal gangs dismantled in two years – €2bn from tax evasion crackdown
The Prime Minister spoke about two years of the Organised Crime Suppression Directorate, citing 1,500 cases and €2bn in recovered funds.
Mitsotakis on OCSD's two years: "Lawlessness is now pursued in an organised manner"
Over 1,500 cases and 260 criminal gangs have been identified and dismantled in two years of operation of the Organised Crime Suppression Directorate (OCSD), said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. According to Dikastiko.gr, Mitsotakis spoke at an event marking two years of OCSD operation, held at the Megaron Concert Hall.
"Police investigation, tax cross-checking and judicial cooperation now function as a single centre against organised crime," the Prime Minister emphasised, adding that the work of the Independent Authority of Public Revenue (IAPR) is critical to this role.
Two billion euros from tax evasion in 2025
Mitsotakis said that more than €2 billion has been secured from tackling tax evasion in 2025 alone, with the amount likely to be even higher. Among the cases he cited as examples of successful prosecution were the explosion in Plaka, cases in basketball, the Pizza Fan case, the "Choriátiko" case, and an NGO that, he said, "was essentially making money on the backs of suffering families".
The criminal networks that were dismantled range from illegal fuel trafficking and cigarette smuggling to cross-border crime and networks that "corrupted tax offices, planning authorities and prisons," the Prime Minister said.
"We are no longer all the same"
The Prime Minister referred to legislative changes which, according to the government, strengthened the effectiveness of prosecution. "Last June we closed loopholes that allowed those being investigated to be notified in advance of inspections," he said, and noted that prosecution now "blocks any possible attempt at cover-up or destruction of evidence".
At the same time, he criticised those questioning why recent revelations are appearing now. "The news is not that lawlessness exists. Lawlessness unfortunately existed, exists and will exist in all societies. The news is that it is finally being revealed and pursued in an organised manner," he stressed.
He also noted that the relevant legislative initiatives were passed only by the government majority. "We are no longer all the same and this is recognised internationally as well," he concluded.
Public officials "backing" criminal networks
The Prime Minister placed particular emphasis on public officials who collaborate with criminal networks. "Public officials found to be backing criminal networks have no place in the administration. They will be brought to justice and dismissed," he declared.
He recalled that previously there were no specialised prosecution authorities, digital tools or horizontal cooperation between services. "We went through periods when laws of other governments released detainees in batches. We went through periods when shortly before elections other criminal codes were changed for the more favourable," he said.
"Legality everywhere" as a daily battle
Referring to the initial political framework, Mitsotakis said that in 2023 the government committed itself to "legality everywhere," knowing that "the road would not be easy" and that they would have to clash "with entrenched structures and deeply rooted mentalities of impunity". This slogan, he noted, "became a daily battle" in neighbourhoods, streets, stadiums, universities, beaches and in the market.
Among other things, he referred to the rehabilitation of OPEKEPE, the transfer of its operations to the IAPR and the creation of a new system for the payment of agricultural subsidies as an example of transparency in the management of public funds.
"The message is that Greece is changing in the area of tackling serious lawlessness, with the Organised Crime Suppression Directorate taking the lead," the Prime Minister concluded.
Source: Dikastiko.gr