Online leak exposes identities of hundreds in Greece’s new ‘FBI’ unit

An online leak revealing the names of hundreds of officers in a newly established Greek anti-crime unit has jeopardized their safety, police officials said Thursday.

The leak, reported by the Ta Nea daily, compromised the identities of approximately 550 officers set to be transferred to the new agency, which has been touted by the government as a response to organized crime amid a rise in mob killings.

“By publicizing the names of these people, there is even a risk to their lives,” police spokeswoman Constantia Dimoglidou told Antenna TV, adding that an internal investigation has been launched to address the breach.

The crime news website lawandorder.gr acknowledged on Wednesday that it mistakenly published the names of officers who will staff the so-called “Greek FBI.”

The new unit, comprising around 1,000 officers, integrates several directorates, including those focused on economic crimes, narcotics, human trafficking, hooliganism, and organized crime.

“Greek society needs it to fight against a form of violence… that generates huge economic losses,” Police Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis said earlier this month.

In the past two years, several prominent mobsters have been killed in ongoing criminal underworld conflicts, with some murders occurring in broad daylight. In July, a topographer was shot dead in his car near a busy Athens street, with the murder linked to real estate disputes on the upscale island of Mykonos.

Last year, Greece’s police faced significant criticism when dozens of Dinamo Zagreb hooligans traveled through the country undeterred and clashed with AEK Athens fans in the capital, resulting in one death.

The investigation into the killing remains unresolved, as does the murder of prominent crime reporter Giorgos Karaivaz, who was shot outside his home in 2021. Two men arrested in connection with the murder were acquitted for lack of evidence in July.