Arrests for internet fraud and drug trafficking

The Cybercrime Directorate participated in a joint police operation of a transnational nature, to dismantle a criminal organization that committed internet fraud, forgery of official documents and drug trafficking.

The operation was carried out jointly with the Romanian and Dutch authorities, under the coordination of Eurojust

Transfer of amounts of money over 2.000.000 euros was verified, by the method of electronic fishing (Phishing)

A total of 30 investigations were carried out, 8 members of the criminal organization were arrested and 220.000 euros were confiscated, among others.

In our country, 121.335 euros, bank cards with third party details and a number of documents and documents related to the case were confiscated.

The Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate participated in a joint transnational police operation, carried out jointly with the Romanian and Dutch authorities, in which a criminal organization was dismantled that carried out large-scale cyber-fraud, online money laundering, and money laundering. and drug trafficking.

In a joint police operation that took place on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, a total of thirty (30) investigations were carried out by all the authorities involved, eight (8) members of the criminal organization were arrested and 220.000 euros were confiscated, including mobile phones, laptops, banks cards, travel and other documents.

As it turned out, the members of the criminal organization, in the period from August 2020 to June 2021, stole through credit (Phishing) data of credit-debit cards and credentials of electronic banking accounts of hundreds of citizens in Europe. They then transferred illegal amounts of money, totaling over 2.000.000 euros, to bank accounts, which they had issued with forged documents, to banking institutions in Hungary, Spain, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, etc.

In particular, the interception of banking data and data was carried out mainly through fraudulent emails sent by the perpetrators to the victims, which contained either malicious software or fraudulent hyperlinks that were apparently redirected to popular short-term and short-term websites.

In addition, members of the criminal organization posted deceptive advertisements for the sale of luxury vehicles on shopping sites, where by using the names of non-existent transport and payment companies they deceived potential buyers, receiving significant sums of money to buy luxury vehicles.

For the implementation of the Joint Undertaking, a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was set up under the judicial coordination of Eurojust, between the Romanian and Dutch authorities, in which the Hungarian, Spanish and Spanish Authorities participated in the execution of European Investigation Mandates. of our country, through the Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate.

In more detail, our country participated in the investigation of the case, at the request of the Romanian authorities, through an urgent European Investigation Order, and was ordered to conduct investigations to locate and locate two (2) suspects, members of the criminal organization, who were Greek territory.

After diligent investigations and searches of the Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate, two (2) members of the criminal organization were located and their temporary place of residence in short-term rental apartments in Attica was determined geographically, while the involvement of a third party emerged.

A coordinated police operation followed, in the context of which their involvement in the criminal organization was identified, while in the investigations that followed, they were found and confiscated: