Dimitris Markopoulos targets organized crime via financial disruption

Dimitris Markopoulos, Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance, emphasized the necessity of weakening the financial foundations of organized crime during an international conference in Athens on November 7, 2026. The event, titled “Best Practices in Judicial and Police Cooperation for Combating International Organized Crime,” was held at the Athens Concert Hall and co-organized by the Association of Greek Prosecutors and the Association of Members of the State Legal Council, with support from the Hellenic Parliament and the U.S. Embassy.

Markopoulos noted that while organized crime manifests in various forms, including human trafficking, drug smuggling, fraud, and corruption, the common denominator is financial profit. He argued that dismantling operational cores is insufficient without identifying, seizing, and confiscating the economic resources that allow these networks to persist and expand.

To combat these activities, the Ministry of National Economy and Finance is implementing initiatives to increase transaction transparency. These measures include the digitalization of tax processes, electronic invoicing, the interconnection of cash registers with POS terminals, and the use of data analytics to improve oversight and detect suspicious transactions.