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More than 25 Greeks were caught with large quantities of cocaine at airports in countries from South America, Portugal and Greece, the Greek police reports. All those captured are young men with a clean criminal record. They have no recorded convictions and most of them have lost their jobs after the height of the financial crisis. Fast money seems to have been attractive to them and they have agreed to become "mules" for drug traffickers from Nigeria who want to establish their products in the European market. The Greek police have found no change in the "consumption" of banned substances, but in the way of their transportation. There are more people now transporting smaller quantities.

"Our main conclusions from the data analysis recently are that the amount of traded heroin and cocaine has not reduced but the dealer network has changed. This is due to the serious economic crisis, which offers many new "distribution" channels and new people to transport the drugs. The increase of traffickers in all levels of distribution of drugs reached 30-40%," explains a representative of the anti-drug department. He explains that a dose of heroin at Athenian piazzas costs between 8-10 euro and the price of cocaine is in the range 45-50 euro for a dose.

The police explain that for many years, Nigerians have been dealing with drug transportation from South America but today, they prefer to use the services of young Europeans ready to risk their future for several thousand euro. "Nigerians allow individuals to transport two to three kilos of drugs on each of their trips to South America by plane. Drugs are placed in special containers in suitcases or even in the bodies of the persons. Nationals of the countries of Eastern Europe - Estonia, Bulgaria and others that joined the European Union have carried out this activity until recently. This is because they can avoid checks at the Old Albion airports. However, signals for Greek nationals arrested for drug trafficking have increased in recent weeks. All are aged 25-35 years."
 
The police state that reports of Greek diplomatic missions in Lima, Peru, Sao Paulo and Lisbon for arrests of Greek citizens carrying mainly cocaine have become more frequent. "We have some similar cases at the Athens Airport Eleftherios Venizelos with people who had regular work, but lately have lost it. They have established contacts with traders from Africa and have become part of the criminal combinations against 2,000 euro per delivery," says the representative of the police. The authorities are worried that this shift in the underground circles and the easy drug trafficking can lead to clashes between illegal organizations that run the business and increase in crime in Greece, mainly in the capital.

At the same time, crime issues and the decline of the historic centre of Athens continue to complicate the matter. Many parts in the centre of the city are becoming uninhabitable after being flooded with homeless, illegal immigrants and drug addicts, for whom an acceptable and socially just solution cannot be found. All those who have found themselves in Omonia Square, Vathis, Piraeus Street or Third September Street and in many other similar places know the scene of people in poor condition, bent at the corners of doors, buildings or curbs, seeking a vein to take the next dose of heroin. According to a study by the Institute for Tourism Studies, there is a shocking jump in crime in the historical centre of one of the oldest European cities, Athens. Murders there are 64% more than in other parts of the city, robberies are 75% more and the percentage of illegal trade is 65.5% higher.