Police sweep near Archaeological Museum targets bootleg cigarette trade
A massive police crackdown on bootleg cigarette vendors in the area around the National Archaeological Museum in central Athens on Thursday led to 26 undocumented immigrants, chiefly of Asian origin, being detained and large quantities of illicit goods being confiscated.
Dozens of officers swooped on illegal traders in the streets around the museum early on Thursday as members of the motorcycle-riding DIAS squad and the riot police stood guard on street corners to avoid possible reactions by leftists or anarchists who frequent the broader Exarchia district. Most of the arrests were made on and around busy Stournari Street, where vendors tend to congregate, flouting their wares to passers-by.
The crackdown came a day after unidentified immigrants believed to be bootleg cigarette vendors attacked three policemen in Exarchia. The officers were hospitalized with minor injuries.
The trade in black-market cigarettes – and other illegal goods – has flourished in the area over the past two years, along with drug dealing and use. After succeeding in curbing the drug trade in a bid to increase public safety and boost tourism, police are now turning their attention to the sale of bootleg cigarettes, which are growing in popularity among cash-strapped Greeks but deprive the debt-ridden state of millions of euros in tax revenue.
The continuing rally on the Athens stock exchange and the fast de-escalation of Greek bond yields were boosted by Fitch Ratings’ decision to upgrade Greece’s credit rating by one notch to B-...
After the withdrawal of hundreds of hotel beds in the last four years due to the economic crisis, there will finally be some new beds added in Athens.
They will be created by Coco-Mat, a loc...
Germany's Bjoern Otto recorded the world's leading performance in the men's pole vault at the Athens Street Pole Vault event that took place at Zappio, in central Athens, on Saturday afterno...
PAS Giannina upset PAOK at Thessaloniki on Sunday to take the lead at the Super League play-offs, while Asteras Tripolis rebounded from its loss at Ioannina in midweek to defeat Atromitos at...
Certain people have created a monster and now, when they observe it, they wonder what it is. Golden Dawn, along with all its slogans and behavior, is the work of many, not one single person....
The country has a unique opportunity to turn the page. Society has displayed incredible maturity and responsibility, despite all the hardships. Reforms which had been under discussion for de...
