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In a major crackdown last week, Greek authorities, in collaboration with German and U.S. law enforcement agencies, dismantled a sophisticated forgery ring operating out of Athens. The operation, coordinated by Europol, led to the arrest of eight individuals suspected of producing and distributing fake documents for migrants.
The two-day operation, conducted on July 24 and 25, followed a prolonged investigation initiated in Germany. Raids across Athens uncovered a fully equipped document forgery laboratory disguised as a travel agency. The lab was allegedly used to manufacture counterfeit passports, ID cards, driver's licenses, and Greek residence permits.
According to Europol, the smuggling network was primarily composed of Pakistani, Iranian, and Turkish nationals. Several of those arrested were already known to Greek authorities and had prior criminal records related to document fraud and other offenses.
Law enforcement agents seized hundreds of forged documents, biometric data sets, passport components, forgery tools, mobile phones, vehicles, drugs, and over €68,000 in cash. The fake documents were reportedly being sent to clients across Europe, including France, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
The U.S. agencies involved included Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the FBI office in Athens. Europol played a key role by coordinating intelligence exchange among participating nations.
Authorities confirmed that the travel agency, opened by the network's main suspect, had been used as a front for shipping counterfeit documents across borders.
Source: Europol Press Release
July 31, 2025
