Customs Officers Arrested and Containers of Illegal Goods Seized at Piraeus

 

The European Union (EU) is intensifying the fight against illegal goods imported from China, which are denying the bloc millions in revenues. This week, the Port of Piraeus in Greece became the entry epicenter of the illicit trade, as officials reported the seizure of a massive amount of goods and an ongoing monitoring operation.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said it has brought charges against six individuals, including two customs officers, for allegedly being involved in criminal networks flooding the EU market with goods fraudulently imported from China.

The six are being charged in relation to a raid that happened at the port at the end of June and which resulted in the seizure of 2,435 shipping containers that were filled with illegally imported goods, primarily e-bikes, textiles, and footwear. The illegal goods seizure, they reported, is the largest to date, and could have caused €250 ($294 million) in damages through evading customs duties and value-added tax (VAT).

The investigation carried out by EPPO code-named “Calypso” saw coordinated raids across Greece, Spain, France, and Bulgaria targeting criminal networks managing the entire circuit of importing illegal goods from China into the EU. The networks, which are mainly controlled by Chinese nationals, are also involved in money laundering. During the raid, 10 suspects were arrested, including two customs officers and four customs brokers.

The two customs officers have now been charged with repeated false certification, causing unlawful gains and damage to the EU budget, and abetting customs fraud. The four customs brokers are facing charges of repeated customs fraud, as well as inciting false certification.

The Port of Piraeus, which in 2024 handled 4.2 million containers and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, has become the entry port of choice for the illicit trade, according to EPPO. A network of professional enablers at the port facilitates the entry of the goods into EU markets through undervaluation or misclassification, thus enabling the importers to evade custom duties. Through a chain of buffer and shell companies, the goods are then sold to companies in specific countries and find their way to the market.

EPPO is highlighting that the first 500 containers were seized during the raid in June, with an additional 1,935 containers that were in transit to the EU also being seized upon arrival at Piraeus. The seized containers are currently undergoing inspection, with all revealing similar fraudulent practices of misdeclaration and undervaluation.

“Highly organized criminal networks have been specializing in this kind of fraud for years. They have grown accustomed to causing massive damage to our finances and economies with close to no risk,” said Laura Codru?a Kövesi, European Chief Prosecutor.

EPPO contends that the fraudulent, illegal importation of goods into the EU has been ongoing for at least eight years, causing an estimated loss of at least €350 million ($412 million) in customs duties and €450 million ($530 million) in VAT.

The EU has been trying to protect its market by imposing punitive anti-dumping duties on imports from China, something that has often instigated trade wars with Beijing, often retaliating.