A scheme that issued fake seamanship certificates was dismantled by the Coast Guard

A scheme that issued fake seamanship certificates dismantled the coast guard.

More specifically, in the context of the use of information and a police investigation carried out by officers of the Port Authority of Kalymnos, in the morning hours of 09-08-2022 they made the arrest 39 years old citizen who was caught possessing and using a certificate of seaworthiness of doubtful authenticity and a certificate of adequacy of life-saving and fire-fighting equipment of doubtful authenticity.

From the development of the investigation, it emerged that the aforementioned citizen had procured the documents of dubious authenticity instead of the amount of one thousand (1,000) euros from a maritime agent and case manager based in Piraeus.

With the assistance of the Security officers of the Central Port Authority of Piraeus and utilizing the information that had already been communicated to them by the Maritime Border Security and Protection Directorate (DAPTHAS), the above were arrested A 27-year-old shipping agent as well as a 69-year-old citizen, for violation of articles 26, 27, 98, 216, 217, 45 and 187 of the Civil Code. and of Law 2168/1993.

From a further investigation by the Security officers of the Central Port Authority of Piraeus, they were identified and arrested, on 10-08-2022, four (04) additional nationalstwo (02) male agency owners and two (02) female agency employees.

The six (06) nationals arrested in total are alleged to be members of an organized ring that issued and traded certificates of seamanship of dubious authenticity, as well as a number of documents related to the processing of seamen’s cases in general, for a fee, while from their activities it appears that the ring’s profits exceed by far the amount of one hundred and twenty thousand euros (120,000).

Lawful home searches were conducted by the Security officers of the Central Port Authority of Piraeus at the homes of the 27-year-old and 69-year-old, where the following were located and confiscated:

A. At the 27-year-old’s home:

Two (02) AEN/Aspropyrgos Education Certificates, thirteen (13) Leaving Certificates – Dismissal Certificates – General and Vocational High School Degrees, ten (10) Certificates of Service, nine (09) STCW International Convention Certificates, seven (07) Certificates Proficiency, various Certificates of seafarers’ training, medical Certificates for seamanship, seafarers’ brochures, sick books, etc. In addition, two USB storage sticks, two external hard drives, two mobile phones, one external computer unit (tower), one multi-machine and handwritten notes with monetary transactions, names and services provided, seventy-five (75) seals of: ships, Greek republic were found , of various names, signatures, doctors, Services, notaries, Coast Guard officials.

B. At the home of the 69-year-old:

Two (02) computers, two (02) printers, one (01) paper cutter, one (01) scanner, fourteen (14) usb storage sticks, one (01) mobile phone, handwritten notes with sums of money, one ( 01) 9mm pistol, one (01) silencer, thirty-three (33) unfired cartridges and a number of documents, indicatively mentioned are bank checks, photocopies of high school diplomas, photographs, Certificates of Service – Certificate of service, work machine operator license books, bank checks, medical opinions etc.

Additionally, two hundred and fifty-four (254) seals: ships, Greek republic, various names, signatures, doctors, Services, notaries, Coast Guard officials.

Investigations were also carried out by the Security officers of the Piraeus Central Port Authority, the Piraeus Special Operations Group of the Piraeus Special Missions Scale and the Maritime Border Security and Protection Directorate (DAPTHAS) in four (04) shipping agencies in the Piraeus area, of which two (02 ) no criminal charges were found, while in the other two (02) were found and confiscated:

A. To the first shipping agency:

Two (02) external units (Towers) and one (01) USB STICK, eleven (11) STCW International Convention Certificates, seventy-four (74) Certificates of Service, various Certificates of competence, documents, six (06) EPAL – general high school diplomas, sixteen (16) accompanying courier slips, a number of envelopes from courier companies, a number of handwritten notes with names and dates, three (03) notebooks with handwritten notes, one (01) plastic bag with a number of photographs, one (01 ) laptop, ninety-eight (98) ship seals, nine (09) company seals, one (01) Coast Guard seal, four (04) Port Authority seals, nine (09) other seals, thirteen (13) personal – individual seals , seven (07) round consulate seals, one (01) municipal authority seal.

B. At the second shipping agency:

Two (02) STCW International Convention Certificates, thirty-seven (37) ship seals, sixteen (16) company seals, one (01) Port Authority seal, three others – individual seals.

A preliminary investigation was carried out by the Port Authorities of Kalymnos and Piraeus, for the offenses of forgery and subsequent forgery of certificates, establishment of a criminal organization, violation of the arms law respectively.

Both the mobile phone devices and all of the confiscated electronic media are to be sent to the competent Service of the D.E.E. for further evaluation.

Investigations at an informational level continue by the Directorate of Security and Protection of Maritime Borders (DAPTHAS) in collaboration with the Central Port Authority of Piraeus with the analysis of the data that has emerged, in order to identify the possible involvement of other shipping agencies and entities.

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