Racket trading in forged driving licenses busted

A prosecutor in Lamia, central Greece, has brought charges of running a criminal gang against 15 suspected members of a local racket that had been trading in forged driving licenses.

The 15 suspects are to defend themselves before a prosecutor this week after being given an extension to prepare their defense on Friday night.

Among the suspects are civil servants with prior actions for disciplinary offenses, according to sources, who said that employees from driving schools across the country – including Corinth, Sparta, Volos, Trikala and Karditsa – are believed to have participated in the racket.

One of the suspects is a Chinese national believed to have mediated between the racket leaders and members of the Chinese community in Athens to secure them fake driving licenses.

The case file, which runs to more than 7,000 pages, includes transcripts of revealing conversations involving suspected members of the racket recorded by police wiretaps.

The forged licenses were sold for up to 1,500 euros a piece.