Police Arrests Members of a Baby-Trafficking Ring on Crete, Greece

Eight members of a criminal baby-trafficking ring on the Greek island of Crete have been apprehended by the police.

Since December 2022, a total of 182 incidents involving the exploitation of women within the domains of egg retrieval and surrogacy have been documented. The fertility clinic situated in Crete has brought to light an alarming count of over four hundred cases involving deceptive practices related to sham in vitro fertilization (IVF).

The group, whose operations were thwarted by the Organized Crime Department of the General Regional Police Directorate of Crete, was allegedly engaged in human trafficking through the practice of “industrial births,” illicitly orchestrating baby adoptions, and perpetrating fraudulent schemes by offering counterfeit IVF treatments to unsuspecting patients.

Baby-trafficking operation on Crete, Greece

As per the Greek Police, the syndicate capitalized on the vulnerability of certain women, manipulating them into becoming egg donors and surrogate mothers.

Meanwhile, the apprehended individuals engaged in a web of deceit by orchestrating fabricated embryo transfers and facilitating unlawful adoptions.

The criminal group typically reaped substantial gains from each surrogacy program, with earnings varying between €70,000 and €100,000. In certain instances, this nefarious enterprise even managed to amass as much as €120,000

Human Trafficking in Greece

The authorities in Greece have made efforts to combat the broader phenomenon of human trafficking in the country over the past few years.

For instance, in December last year, police in Greece announced that it dismantled an international human trafficking ring that illegally transferred foreign nationals to Greece and facilitated their departure to other countries via Athens Airport.

Police said that the ring was supplying them with the necessary travel documents. A total of 18 individuals were arrested as suspected members of the criminal organization during police operations in Thessaloniki and Attica.

Last year, the police also apprehended suspects involved in a suspected human trafficking ring on the island of Rhodes. Law enforcement authorities apprehended two individuals suspected of being key players in a human trafficking network responsible for transporting migrants from Turkey into Greece. The meticulous operation was executed through collaborative efforts involving local police, the Protection of the Sea Borders Security Directorate, the Dodecanese law enforcement, and the EUROPOL agency.

In 2022, efforts were also initiated by activists to raise awareness of human trafficking in Greece. International non-governmental organization A21 joined forces with distinguished screenwriter and director Konstantinos Mousoulis to create an original photo shoot of prominent Greek women. An optimistic message was sent to women who have suffered, and part of the campaign is titled “Can you see me?”

A21, founded in 2008 in Thessaloniki, operates in countries around the world. The name A21—Abolishing Slavery in the 21st Century—expresses the organization’s vision for a world without slavery.