His threshold investigator expected to pass this afternoon the coast guard officer who was arrested for money launderingsmuggling and bribery with some of the charges being criminal in nature.

According to information from cretapost, the 48-year-old is expected today to give explanations for what he is accused of while denying everything.

He is expected to state before the authorities that he had developed friendly relations with the captains and crews of the ships and that he tried to serve them while he never asked for money or any other reward.

As for duty free packs of cigarettes were accepted by the captains and the crews, he states that he had not realized the seriousness of his act when he accepted them.

At the same time, regarding his category money laundering he will submit the evidence which – as he claims – will destroy the charge.

It is worth noting that the authorities have already “frozen” the accounts of the officer of the port corps in order to be checked in order to establish whether there is indeed anything suspicious in the movements.

The announcement of the Department of Internal Affairs

On Wednesday, February 6, 2024, the Internal Affairs Service of the Security Forces arrested a Coast Guard Officer, who was acting as Harbor Master, for demanding and receiving sums of money or tobacco products from captains of commercial ships.

A case file was filed against him for dereliction of duty, bribery, violation of the customs code, as well as for money laundering from criminal activities, while it also includes -9- individuals – company representatives and captains, accused of bribing an employee.

An anonymous complaint was made to the Chief of the Coast Guard, who informed the Internal Affairs Service, as it emerged that the Officer in question was ensuring the passage of ships without inspection, demanding cigarettes and sums of money.

From the investigation carried out, through the application of special investigative techniques, as well as the collection and correlation of the resulting data, the criminal activity of the Officer was determined.

Specifically, taking advantage of his position as Harbormaster and although the inspection of ships and their priority control no longer fell within his duties, he assumed a risk of delaying the departure of the ships or did not observe/skip the prescribed procedures and asked the respective captains or crew members sums of money and tobacco products, which he received.

In investigations carried out, -594- packs of cigarettes of various brands were found and confiscated, which did not have the special consumption tax strip and -1- mobile phone.

From the investigation so far, his involvement has been established in -7- cases from December 2023 to the beginning of February 2024.