Greece’s Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, addressed the extensive road checks being carried out to eliminate drunk driving across the country. Speaking on the matter, he revealed that within a single week — from last Monday through to yesterday (Monday) — 26,000 breathalyzer tests were conducted in the Attica region alone, averaging 4,000 tests per day. Regarding Greece’s organized crime unit, widely referred to as the “Greek FBI,” he told SKAI television that more than 270 criminal organizations have been dismantled.
On the package of measures the Prime Minister is set to announce at the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), Chrysochoidis stated: “Everything in the economy has a foundation. There is a basic principle: in order to distribute or allocate any amount of money — whether it relates to financial support or social issues — one essential precondition must be met: growth. Your economy must be able to grow, and through that growth and expansion, you collect taxes and revenue, which you then return to society as a solidarity dividend. So, my view is this: whatever measures are announced, they will be grounded in and conditioned upon growth — meaning the country will continue moving forward,” he noted. “The fundamental precondition is growth. That is the health of the economy. Everything else relates to support,” he added.
Chrysochoidis: The situation in Mykonos is considerably improved
When asked about the recent dismantling of a criminal organization on the island of Mykonos, he said: “Over the last three years or so, there has been a concerted effort to normalize the situation on Mykonos and restore law and order — because for many years, things there had spiraled out of control, and the law and the state were effectively absent.
At this point, we can say that the situation is considerably better. Of course, the island is not what it once was, and that is a lesson and a message for everyone: when overtourism takes hold and wealth flows freely, it must be managed in a way that creates prospects and opportunity — not exploitation.
I believe things on Mykonos right now are in excellent shape. There is a local unit operating effectively, and at the same time, almost every week, teams from other services — such as the FBI, the Traffic Police, and the Security Police — travel there with specific objectives and missions. It was within this framework that these latest arrests were made.”
Chrysochoidis: Greek organized crime has been nearly decimated
Asked whether a large number of criminal organizations are still operating in the country, the minister said that while Greek organized crime has been nearly decimated, Greece — like all other countries — continues to face the challenge of international organized crime.
“I think what has happened over the past two years since the Greek FBI — the organized crime unit — began operations is truly unprecedented. More than 270 criminal organizations have been dismantled, connected to issues spanning the entire spectrum of criminal law, including fraud,” he added.
“I want to tell you that within the FBI, the extortion unit has now doubled its personnel — and every night, they are out on the streets,” said Michalis Chrysochoidis, before going on to highlight the unit’s significant achievements.
On Thodoris Atheridis
Commenting on the positive statements made by actor Thodoris Atheridis and the reactions that followed, the minister said: “I don’t know him personally. I saw him in Heraklion, where we had an outstanding, well-attended event that brought together the entire community — focused on domestic violence. The artist spoke about the FBI, about organized crime, and mentioned me as well. I thank him very much for that, but there was really no need for all this discussion to unfold the way it did.”
“These days, within the environment we live in — across the full spectrum of social media — there is an enormous amount of hatred on display. And a kind of confrontation that is entirely counterproductive, yielding no results whatsoever, playing out 24 hours a day… Heaven help us if our problems could actually be solved within the context of a so-called ‘dialogue’ — or rather, a series of monologues,” he remarked.
Korydallos prison
When asked whether the Korydallos prison will ultimately be relocated, Chrysochoidis replied: “It will be relocated, but the process needs to be completed first. Look, unfortunately in Europe, processes move very slowly. This particular case has been ongoing for about four years now. We are finally at the stage where offers are being evaluated and the contract and project are about to get underway. I hope that within four years at the latest, the new prison facility in Aspropyrgos will be fully operational.”
Chrysochoidis: Old national ID cards are essentially no longer valid
Finally, speaking about the availability of appointments at police stations for the new national ID card, he said: “Appointments are available, yes. And if in some areas appointments are showing availability only one or two months out — which is no longer generally the case — people can look at various police stations and security departments to find an appointment much sooner.”
He emphasized that old national ID cards are essentially no longer valid and that everyone must go and replace them.
