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The Greek police have broken up a criminal network that had been able to steal 17 million euro from the state and from businessmen operating in the tourism sector.

So far, the authorities have arrested six persons, including one prominent lawyer from Heraklion, two businessmen, one journalist - a civil servant, one businessman from Agios Nikolaos and one participant from Messara. The Greek media report that other journalists, business consultants and businessmen are on the list too.

According to the data available so far, the persons are arrested on charges of fraud to the detriment of the state and businessmen operating in the field of tourism. It is believed that the damage to the state funds is to the amount of 3 million euro and, to the businessmen,14 million euro.

Sources claim that in 2010 the members of the network had set up five fictitious companies and presented them to businessmen, operating in the tourism sector, who had significant debts to the state. The companies had undertaken to repay their obligations in return for a portion of their profits.

The investigation showed that the participants in the network had not paid a dime to cover the 3 million euro owed by the businessmen to ​​the state. In the majority of the cases, they had issued false cheques, obtaining at the same time 14 million euro from their profits in return.
 
The investigating authorities began to monitor the members of the network in the summer of 2013, creating for this purpose a special unit to combat organized crime, which operated at the police station in the city of Heraklion on the island. "That particular unit was formed in order to carry out the investigation under complete secrecy. Due to concerns about leaks the unit members informed only the chief police officer of Crete and the headquarters of the Greek police," well-informed sources state before Greek media.

Apprehending the participants in the criminal group was possible due to the information collected with the equipment of the Greek counterintelligence service. The tracked phone calls revealed both the identity of the fraudsters and their modus operandi.

In addition to the six persons arrested, the police are still searching for two other key players in the network and nine of their collaborators, including one foreign citizen.

The authorities have evidence that the criminal group started its activities in 2006 and they have prepared a pre-file for committed felonies against the members of the network. It is worth noting that the group was planning to expand its illegal activities in other countries and was even preparing to start a company in Bulgaria.