A Greek pilot and flight attendant were recently revealed to have taken part in a human trafficking ring that transferred migrants to EU countries. Within Greek airports, they were working primarily as the “eyes and ears” of the organization, which used their position to bypass security checks in order to help illegal migrants travel unhindered to western Europe.
Following a joint operation in Athens and Thessaloniki, police were able to arrest seven key members of the organization. Among those detained was the leader of the organization, the owner of a travel agency, one of his employees, a pilot and a flight attendant who was responsible for checking in passengers and helping them board the plane.
Police investigations also uncovered 60,000 counterfeit euros and weapons. Police believe that the organization was formed in October 2013.
Three of the culprits are of Cypriot origin. Another is from Pakistan. The ring leader, a 48-year-old man from Cyprus, worked as the link between the organization’s branch members. He was in charge of paying them. Since 2004, he has been wanted by Cypriot authorities on charges of fraud, forgery and counterfeiting.
The flight attendant, responsible for checking the passengers’ tickets and travel documents, was a key member of the operation. She permitted illegal migrants to enter the plane with forged travel documents. Furthermore, she also leaked information about the airport staff to other members of the organization. The pilot was responsible for transmitting the leader’s orders to the flight attendant.
The owner and the employee of the travel agency provided tickets to the migrants. They were fully aware that the tickets were being issued under falsified travel documents.
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