U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT, MARCH 1996: GREECE

United States Department of State

Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

GREECE

I. Summary

While Greece is not considered a major financial or money laundering center, Greek authorities believe that some money laundering occurs. Authorities have noted an increase in the number of illegal money couriers transiting Greece with large quantities of cash en route to Cyprus.

Greece is not considered a principal producer, supplier or transshipment point for precursor chemicals. A special unit in Greek Customs tracks and investigates chemical imports and exports.

II. Status of Country

The domestic market for illicit drugs in Greece is small but growing, especially for heroin. Use of cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, barbiturates, amphetamines and locally grown marijuana is increasing. Officials estimate Greece has 70,000-80,000 heroin users. Although authorities seized a small amount of crack cocaine in 1994, they do not believe it is used widely.

III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 1995

In 1995, the Ministries of Finance and Public Order established a joint financial crime unit to combat money laundering and conduct financial investigations. In January 1996, the GOG opened its first pilot methadone treatment centers for heroin addicts in Athens and Thessaloniki.

Agreements and Treaties. Greece is a party to the 1988 UN Convention, and meets the Convention's goals and objectives relating to drug cultivation, distribution, sale, transport, law enforcement, transit cooperation, and demand reduction. Greece passed implementing legislation for essential and precursor chemical controls in 1994. Greece and the United States have an Extradition Treaty and an agreement to exchange information on narcotics trafficking, both dating from 1928. Greece actively participates in various international counter-narcotics organizations, including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Dublin Group, where it chairs the Balkans/Near East regional working group.

Law Enforcement. Greek and American law enforcement authorities cooperate closely. The GOG routinely honors specific USG requests for GOG legal assistance. Greece has no laws permitting the sharing of assets with the USG.

The Central Narcotics Council - consisting of representatives of the Ministries of Public Order, Finance, and the Merchant Marine - coordinates drug enforcement activities. As of December 20, 1995, authorities had seized 172 kilograms (kg) of heroin, compared to 283kg in 1994, and 9kg of cocaine, compared to 169kg in 1994. Authorities had also seized 210kg of cannabis resin and 924kg of cannabis herb. There were 150 confirmed deaths from drug overdose in 1995.

Corruption. Greek authorities maintain that anti-corruption laws generally deter public officials from facilitating illicit production or distribution of drugs, or the laundering of drug money. However, police salaries are low and, while few specific cases may be cited, some corruption occurs. In August, a senior customs official and a retired policeman were caught trying to sell one kg of heroin to an undercover policeman. There are persistent reports of drug trafficking and official corruption in Greece's prison system; a former prison warden was convicted of weapons possession but acquitted of drug trafficking charges in 1995.

Cultivation/Production. Cannabis is cultivated in small amounts for local use. In addition, cannabis seed is exported to Albania. Opium poppies, used in Greek folk medicine for over two thousand years, are grown in the mountainous areas of northern Greece. As of December 20, 1995, authorities had eradicated 30,500 cannabis and 106 opium poppy plants.

Drug Flow/Transit. Greece remains a principal transshipment route for heroin and hashish arriving from the Near East and South Asia and bound for Western Europe and, to a lesser degree, the United States. Drug couriers continue to transit Athens Airport and, increasingly, Greece's Aegean Islands en route to drug markets in Europe and, to a lesser extent, the United States. Larger amounts of drugs are smuggled into Greece in ship containers, on bonded "TIR" trucks, in automobiles, on trains, and in buses. The trucks typically enter Greece the land crossings between Greece and Turkey, then cross by ferry to Italy. There appears to be an increase in cocaine shipments from Colombia to Greece. In December 1994, Greek authorities seized a record 109 kg of South American cocaine. The cocaine was to be shipped overland to Albania and then on to Italy. Hashish is also off-loaded in remote areas of Greece and transported to Western Europe by boat or overland. There is evidence of co-mingling of illegal alien and narcotics smuggling to Greece's Aegean Islands from Turkey. Demand Reduction. The Ministry of Health's demand reduction agency, Okana, coordinates all demand reduction efforts. It develops and administers information and prevention programs, supports therapeutic communities for substance abuse, and cooperates with other agencies working on narcotics treatment and prevention. Okana also runs a program for addicted prisoners, as well as a substance abuse information center for teachers. In 1995, Okana opened a training school for drug prevention officers (social workers, teachers, psychologists). In January 1996, Okana opened several pilot methadone treatment centers.

Anti-drug education programs and press reports on deaths due to overdose have heightened public awareness of the growing drug problem in Greece, and a strong social consensus against drug trafficking exists.

IV. US Policy Initiatives and Programs

The Road Ahead. The USG anticipates continued close cooperation with Greek law enforcement agencies. In 1996, the USG will offer investigative training opportunities and encourage active Greek participation in international anti-drug organizations, including the Dublin Group. DEA will also sponsor a counter-narcotics coordination meeting involving narcotics police officials from Greece and neighboring Balkan countries.