The Directorate of Financial Police incooperationwithSEKdismantled a criminal organization that smuggled ethyl alcohol from Bulgaria, which it channeled into distilleries for the production of alcoholic beverages.21 tonesofethylalcoholwereseized; evadeddutiesandtaxesareestimatedatover 660,000 euros. 2 OCGmemberswerearrested, whilethecasefilethatwasformedincludes 3 morepeople. As it emerged from the investigation, the OCG, at least since November 2021, was systematically importing ethyl alcohol (spirit) from Bulgaria, with the aim of manufacturing illegal alcoholic beverages and channeling them to Attica and various parts of Greece, reaping huge economic benefits. The smuggled ethyl alcohol was transported in tank trucks to specially designed areas, where they had access only by remote control, while in order not to reveal their action, they issued documents according to which they transported other types of liquids, which were not excisable.The dismantling of the OCG took place in a coordinated police operation, at noon of Friday, April 15, 2022, where a tank truck was seized in a distillery in the prefecture of Fthiotida to smuggle ethyl alcohol, with documents transporting "dishwashing liquid" and a recipient company in Italy.As part of the operation, the driver of the tanker and the owner of the distillery were arrested and a case file was formed against them for criminal organization and violations of the National Customs Code, while the case file includes 3 more people who are wanted.During the searches carried out, with the assistance of a team of the Customs Office of Stylida, in the distillery business as well as in storage areas, house and vehicles, the following were found and seized: tank truck, 21,000 liters of smuggled ethyl alcohol, mechanical equipment of distillery, empty plastic tanks, car and van, mobile phones and documents. It should be noted that the duties and taxes evaded are estimated to amount to over 660,000 euros. The arrested persons, and the case file formed against them, were taken to the competent public prosecutor's office.
