2,435 containers of counterfeit goods seized; six people indicted, including two customs officials
The port of Piraeus has become the main entry point for illicit trade between China and Europe, according to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (Eppo). At the end of June, during an operation called Calypso, 2,435 containers containing mainly e-bikes, textiles, and footwear illegally introduced into the EU were seized. The estimated potential damage amounts to 250 million euros in evaded customs duties and VAT.
Eppo has formalized charges against six people, including two customs officials and four freight forwarders, accused of customs fraud, false certification, and aiding and abetting. As part of coordinated raids in Greece, Spain, France, and Bulgaria, ten suspects, belonging to criminal networks largely run by Chinese citizens and also active in money laundering, were arrested.
The port of Piraeus, which handled 4.2 million teu in 2024, is indicated as the “privileged gateway” for these illicit activities thanks to a network of local facilitators. The goods entered the EU market through undervaluation or misclassification, then passed through shell companies to the final distributors.
According to Eppo, the fraudulent importation had been going on for at least eight years, with total losses for the EU estimated at over 800 million euros in uncollected duties and VAT
