In dismantling a criminal organization that forged identity documents and passports, using state-of-the-art counterfeiting machines, the Greek Police proceeded, according to its announcement.

In his broad police operation Department of Immigration Management, Directorate of Aliens of Atticaon Thursday afternoon 3, four foreigners were arrested in Patisia and Omonia, who had set up a criminal organization that prepared and trafficked fake identification documents and passports.

According to ELAS, all those arrested were legally residing in the country with refugee status and asylum seekers), while the criminal organization had a state-of-the-art counterfeiting laboratory.

The criminal organization, which is being investigated for possible international connections, supplied the fake travel and other identification documents to irregular immigrants and had a state-of-the-art laboratory, with advanced technology machines, installed in a second-floor apartment in the area of ​​Patisia.

A large quantity of raw materials was found consisting of a number of passport pages, slides bearing imitations of iridescent security elements of travel documents of various countries, leather cloth patches used as passport covers, PVC cards used for identity cards and driving licences.

More than 2,700 pieces of documents (passports, identity cards, residence permits and driving licenses) belonging to third parties and of dubious authenticity were seized, each with a selling price ranging from 200 to 800 euros. The total amount they would obtain from the trading of the confiscated documents is estimated to exceed 600,000 euros. Also found were 14 metal dies used to make fake passports and an Istanbul airport entry visa stamp of questionable authenticity.

Among the seized documents was also found a diplomatic passport, which had been registered as a stolen form, lost on 07/21/2022.