Hammer falls hard on ‘Greek mafia’ thugs

In what is being seen as a resounding message to the so-called “Greek mafia,” a court this week handed heavy sentence to organized crime enforcers after a trial that lasted more than two years. 

The trial, which ended late on Wednesday, concerned an investigation conducted in 2015 into three groups of thugs who were responsible for collecting protection money from hundreds of shops in Attica, while they were also involved in drug trafficking and violence against sports officials.

Of the 26 defendants, 22 were given long prison sentences, with three of them receiving terms of 30 years. The court also refused a request by the lawyers of the three defendants for a suspended sentence. 

According to legal circles, the final outcome of the trial was influenced by the ongoing turf war between rival gangs and the message of the Citizens’ Protection Ministry, that it is at war with organized crime.